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WHO Convenes Zika Panel: Fate of the Olympics
Relenting to a growing chorus of international concern, the WHO will seek the opinion of a committee of infectious disease experts before it makes a final decision on allowing the Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro.
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Another Brick in the Wall: Colistin-resistant E.coli
The possible emergence of untreatable E. coli — a common cause of urinary tract and other infections in the community — is enough to rudely awake a medical epidemiologist in the middle of the night. It is a sobering development that the CDC has been concerned about for some time.
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FDA Issues Alert on Devices
The FDA issued a June 1, 2016, alert that some of the Mycobacterium chimaera infections acquired by cardiothoracic patients in the U.S. may be linked to the Stöckert 3T Heater-Cooler System manufactured by the Sorin Group in Germany.
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New CDC Guidelines to Identify NTM Infections
Hospitals performing surgeries requiring cardiopulmonary bypass should consider taking the following steps to identify patients at risk, the CDC recommends. Patients meeting the following criteria may represent heater-cooler unit-associated infection and may warrant additional investigation.
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Cardiac Surgery Devices Linked to Fatal Infections
An “insidious” under-the-radar outbreak of waterborne bacteria aerosolized by heater-cooler devices commonly used in cardiothoracic surgery is emerging as a clear and present danger to patient safety, a veteran epidemiologist recently warned at a meeting of infectious disease physicians in Atlanta.
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Improper Administration of a Drug Yields Verdict of $44.1 Million From Jury
In 2011, a 57-year-old woman was transferred to a hospital to treat a benign brain tumor. The hospital removed the tumor and prescribed heparin, an anticoagulant medication. However, staff failed to follow proper procedures in the administration of heparin over nine days.
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Jury Awards $6 Million to Woman Due to Mislabeled CT Scan
A woman arrived at the ED of a hospital and was complaining of abdominal pain. ED staff ordered a CT scan of the woman’s lower abdomen. The radiology department reported that the woman’s CT scan indicated a perforated bowel and/or appendix. However, the CT scan that the radiology department reported actually was that of another patient and had been incorrectly labeled as the woman’s CT scan.
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New Standards Proposed for Patient Safety, Quality
The CMS recently proposed new standards intended to enhance patient safety and improve the quality of care in hospitals. Among several initiatives, the rule seeks to reduce overuse of antibiotics and implement comprehensive requirements for infection prevention.
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AHRQ Tool Identifies Harm to Children in Hospitals
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a new “trigger tool” for flagging adverse events in children.
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Use the Right Doctors and the Right Data To Improve Coverage in the ED
Having the right set of ED physicians will reduce the need for specialist coverage, says Pascal Crosley, DO, vice president of CEP America and medical director at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD. The more experienced and skilled that the ED physicians are, the less often they will need to call in specialists, he says.