Editor's Note The US Congress on February 9 passed a budget deal that will have a significant impact across nearly every sector of the healthcare industry, the March 9 Business Insider reports. Among the initiatives are: $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health $6 billion to combat the opioid…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 7 announced that it had cleared the updated design and labeling for Pentax Medical's duodenoscope Model ED-3490TK. Pentax replaced the forceps elevator mechanism, O-ring seal, and distal end cap, and updated the Operation Manual to recommend annual maintenance. The design…

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Editor's Note Implementation of stringent OR attire policies that include full coverage of ears and facial hair do not reduce surgical site infection (SSI) rates, finds this study. Researchers compared National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data from all patients having surgery 9 months before implementation (3,077) to 3,440 patients…

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Medical technology is intended to improve patient care, but even the best technology—if configured, used, or maintained improperly—can lead to problems. Hospitals must regularly examine their hazard control priorities to target the most pressing risks. ECRI Institute’s annual Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report identifies high-priority sources of danger or…

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On November 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule for the 2018 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System/ASC Payment System and Quality Reporting Programs. In summary, several ambulatory surgery center (ASC) measures (ASC-1 to ASC-14) are unaffected, except that three measures (ASC-5, -6,…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute on December 12 issued its list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2018. The list, which is available for free (registration required), identifies sources of technology dangers or difficulties and details steps to minimize the occurrence of adverse events. Topping the list is ransomware and…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 20 cleared the first duodenoscope with a disposable end cap, which will improve access for cleaning and reprocessing. The new features of the Pentax ED34-i10T duodenoscope include a single-use detachable and disposable distal cap, simpler user interface, improved ergonomics, improved…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 21 announced the recall by Fujifilm of its ED-530XT duodenoscopes. The recall includes replacement of the ED-530XT forceps elevator mechanism including the o-ring seal, replacement of the distal end cap, and a new operations manual. The FDA cleared the updated…

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Editor's Note The combination of two molecular biology tests is the first to distinguish, with near certainty, pancreatic lesions that mimic early signs of cancer but are completely benign, this study finds. The vascular endothelial growth factor-A test alone singled out benign serious cystic neoplasms with a sensitivity of 100%…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 14 issued a proposed rule that would update FY 2018 Medicare inpatient payments and policies. Among the changes, the rule: would increase payment rates by 1.6%, after accounting for inflation and other adjustments required by law includes an…

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