August 2024

OR am newsletter subscribers found these articles to be the most interesting during the month of July.

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1,000 California surgeries cancelled amid CRNA credentialing confusion

A CMS citation for immediate jeopardy this past June allegedly resulted in the cancellation of nearly 1,000 surgeries at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California, according to a July 30 article in Becker’s ASC Review. Citing a July……Read More

OR camera privacy concerns influence nursing strike negotiations

A dispute over cameras in ORs reportedly added tension to nurse strike negotiations that recently culminated in a tentative agreement with union nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. According to an August 7 CBS News report,……Read More

Study reveals puzzling paradox on bilateral mastectomy, breast cancer survival outcomes

Medical professionals have long accepted that bilateral mastectomy does not improve survival outcomes for breast cancer patients. However, a study published in JAMA Oncology reveals a puzzling finding: Those who develop a second cancer in the other breast……Read More

COVID deemed endemic, death rate drops

COVID-19 can be considered endemic worldwide, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the heels of reporting a drop in overall US death rates from the disease. CDC’s classification of the disease as endemic “means,……Read More

Democratic vice-presidential nominee’s healthcare record examined

Having served six terms in Congress and as Governor of Minnesota since 2018, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a long history of involvement in healthcare issues. MedPage Today published an overview of his track record on August……Read More

Injectable “goo” could eliminate joint surgery, treat osteoarthritis, animal study shows

A newly developed biomaterial could treat crippling arthritis by prompting the growth of new cartilage, according to an animal study conducted at Northwestern University and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to an……Read More

Study reveals how OR ventilation, patient positioning impact surgical site infection risk

Optimizing patient positioning can help reduce the risk of surgical site infections due to airborne contaminants in positive-pressure ORs, according to a study published August 12 in Nature: Scientific Reports. Maintaining higher pressure than adjacent spaces prevents entry……Read More

Planned Parenthood offers free abortions, vasectomies at DNC

Planned Parenthood used the occasion of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to offer free medication abortions and vasectomies at a mobile clinic, the Chicago Tribune reported August 19. According to the article, the group aims to demonstrate……Read More

AAMI updates guidelines on radiation sterilization validation, single-use systems control

In a new guidance document for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has released a new guidance document updating best practices for radiation sterilization validation and routine control of single-use……Read More

ASC management is a skill: A day in the administrator role

The administrator of an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) wears many hats, doing every odd job in the book to keep their free-standing center safe, compliant, and operational. But what does “wearing many…Read More