Task Force Weighs in on Bouffant Hat vs. Skull Cap Debate
The task force wrote in a joint statement: “Over the past two years, as recommendations were implemented, it became increasingly apparent that in practice, covering the ears is not practical for surgeons and anesthesiologists and in many cases counterproductive to their ability to perform optimally in the OR.”
Expect More Scrutiny on Hand Hygiene
Now, if a Joint Commission surveyor sees anyone who directly cares for patients fail to perform required hand hygiene, the healthcare organization (HCO) will get a Requirement for Improvement. The Joint Commission justified the change by saying HCOs have had more than enough time to train personnel on how to maintain hand hygiene.
Colorado Nurses Face Jail Time After Pleading Guilty to Drug Thefts
Lisa Marie Jones, 43, was sentenced last Friday to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to thefts of fentanyl, morphine, and hydromorphone from Denver’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center and UCHealth in Aurora in 2016 and 2017. Marlene Gilmore, 28, was given a four-month prison term after pleading guilty on April 20 to stealing the same drugs in 2016 from North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.
Study Calls for New Look at Hospital Readmissions
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine this week, the study led by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center looked at readmission records for 822 patients treated at 10 academic medical centers in the U.S.
New NFPA Standard Focuses on Responding to Active-Shooter Incidents
Designed as a roadmap for the multidisciplinary response needed in the aftermath of an active-shooter incident, there is a separate chapter for “Hospital Preparedness and Response for Out-of-Hospital ASHER Incidents.” The chapter outlines minimum expectations for hospitals in preparing for, reacting to, and receiving patients from an active-shooter event in the area.
Washington State Hospital Warns Patients of Possible Hep C Exposure
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Wash., is notifying patients treated in its emergency room from August 4, 2017 to March 23, 2018 of the potential exposure and advising them to get tested.
How DeKalb Medical Fixed Drug Safety Problems After Fatal Error
Pharmacists may mistakenly override a medication safety alert because they are inundated with false alarms, DeKalb’s pharmacy director told inspectors after the fatal incident, according to an inspection report CMS released to HealthLeaders Media in response to a public records request.
Q&A: Antibiotic Stewardship
The following is an edited Q&A from the HCPro webcast “How to Establish an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.” Speaker Jennifer Pisano, MD, is medical director of the antimicrobial stewardship program at the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences.
Study: 71% of Reusable Scopes Tested Positive for Bacteria
The study found problems in scopes used for routine operations such as colonoscopies and kidney stone removal.
‘Orangeworm’ Virus Targets Healthcare Sector
Kwampirs was found on software used for X-Rays and MRIs, and the malware also targets systems used to assist patients in completing consent forms for required procedures.
Orangeworm’s motives with the Kwampirs malware are not clear, but Symantec says it is likely the work of an individual or a small group of hackers, and the goal is corporate espionage.