OpenAI benchmarking tool tests healthcare LLMs
Editor's Note OpenAI has launched an open-source benchmark designed to test the safety and effectiveness of large language models in healthcare, according to a May 13 report in Fierce Healthcare. Called HealthBench, the dataset evaluates AI performance in real-world medical scenarios, moving beyond outdated exam-style questions and incorporating feedback from…
Study: SGLT2 inhibitors raise postop euglycemic ketoacidosis risk but lower mortality
Editor's Note Patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors face a higher risk of postoperative euglycemic ketoacidosis (eKA) but experience fewer acute kidney injuries and deaths after surgery, according to an April 30 article in Medical Xpress. The article focuses on new research published in JAMA Surgery. Led by researchers at the University…
Study: Knowledge gaps hinder perioperative hypothermia prevention
Editor's Note Surgical staff support for OR temperature management is not always paired with the knowledge required to properly prevent perioperative hypothermia, according to an April 30 study in Nature: Scientific Reports. This multicenter, cross-sectional study surveyed 213 operating room professionals—surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses—across eight hospitals in northern China. The…
Study: Inadequate RN staffing raises patient mortality, costs
Editor's Note Short-staffed hospital wards face higher patient mortality, readmissions, and lengthier stays—especially when they rely on temporary staff instead of permanent registered nurses, according to research published in BMJ Quality & Safety. As detailed in a summary from Medscape News UK, the large-scale, longitudinal observational study was led by…
Study shows WHO surgical checklist boosts safety, but compliance gaps risk patient outcomes
Editor’s Note Tertiary hospitals are embracing the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC), yet inconsistent compliance—especially during time-out—exposes patients to avoidable risks, Cureus April 29 reports. In this study, the researchers found that while overall integration of the SSC is promising, there were compliance gaps particularly in pre-incision…
Power loss risks prompt FDA Class 1 recall designation for heart pump accessories
Editor's Note Sudden, unexpected shutdown and restart prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to designate a class 1 recall—the most severe category reserved for serious risk of injury or death—for Abbot’s HeartMate Mobile Power Unit, which powers system controllers for the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS)…
Study: Daytime meals protect heart health in night shift workers
Editor's Note Eating during the day instead of at night may protect shift workers from harmful cardiovascular effects, according to an April 17 report in Medscape on new research from Mass General Brigham. Researchers found that the timing of meals—not just their content—directly influences cardiac and clotting function in adults…
Study: GLP-1 drugs heighten risk of gastric residue but not perioperative pulmonary aspiration
Editor's Note Taking GLP-1 receptor agonists before anesthesia increases the risk of residual gastric contents, but evidence is lacking for a corresponding increase in perioperative pulmonary aspiration risk, according research published April 15 in the journal Anaesthesia. The systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 28 observational studies involving over 466,000 patients…
Health systems boost security spending as workplace violence escalates
Editor's Note Hospitals are ramping up security in response to rising workplace violence, investing millions in weapons detection, staffing, and risk mitigation, according to an April 14 article in Modern Healthcare. Quoting executives from several large systems, the article details a shift from viewing security as a budgetary burden to…
Low-cost blood test predicts cardiovascular event risk
Editor's Note A low-cost blood test for troponin, a protein released during heart muscle damage, significantly improves long-term risk prediction for heart attacks and strokes—especially in patients with intermediate cardiovascular risk, according to an April 7 report from News-Medical.Net. The findings, based on a large-scale international study led by the…
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