Today’s Top Story
FDA announces recalls of Pharmakon Pharmaceuticals morphine sulfate; Baxter sodium chloride solution.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a voluntary recall of morphine sulfate 0.5 mg/mL preservative free in 0.9% sodium chloride, 1 mL syringe, CII, for intravenous use made and distributed by Pharmakon Pharmaceuticals. The company initiated the recall after receiving laboratory results demonstrating the product was super-potent. On Feb. 16, 2016, FDA was alerted of serious adverse events in three infants associated with the use of the recalled morphine sulfate products. Read more…
Read the FDA safety alert…
     In addition, Baxter International is voluntarily recalling one lot of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Irrigation, USP, 500 mL Plastic Pour Bottle solution – Lot G120162, expiration 11/30/2018 – to the hospital/user level. The product is being recalled due to a customer complaint prior to use for the presence of particulate matter, identified as an insect. Sodium Chloride Irrigation solution can be used to rinse debris and residue from wounds and as a single use for rinsing/irrigation during surgical procedures. FDA states that foreign material contamination potentially could result in complications, including inflammatory reaction, foreign body reaction, and infection. The recalled lot was distributed to customers and distributors in the United States between Nov. 12, 2015 and Jan. 11, 2016. Read more…
Read the FDA safety alert…

Other News

Study: Earlier rehab after traumatic SCI linked to improved functional status at discharge.
According to information presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP), earlier rehabilitation following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) help may improve patients’ functional status at discharge. The research team conducted a retrospective study of 3,937 adult patients with traumatic SCI who were admitted within 24 hours of injury. They found that a 10 percent increase in time-to-rehabilitation (TTR) was associated with a 1.50 lower Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor score at discharge and a 3.92 lower Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) Physical Independence score at 1-year after injury. They noted no association between longer TTR and likelihood of discharge to a private residence, 1-year FIM motor score, or CHART mobility score. Read more…
Read the abstract (scroll to “Association Between Time-to-Rehabilitation and Outcomes Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury”)…

Study: Patient mental state may influence patient-reported pain and function with full-thickness RCTs.
Data from a study published in the Feb. 17 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery suggest that a patient’s mental health may influence patient-reported pain and function among patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears (RCTs). The researchers conducted a prospective study of 169 patients with full-thickness RCTs. They found that Short Form-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) had the strongest correlation with the visual analog scales for shoulder pain and shoulder function, the Simple Shoulder Test, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score. The researchers note that tear severity only correlated with the visual analog scale for shoulder function, and that tear severity did not correlate with other scores in bivariate correlations. Read the abstract…

Study: Preconditioning may help implanted cells survive and improve bone healing.
Findings from a mouse study conducted in Belgium and published in the Feb. 9 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism suggest that preconditioning periosteal cells prior to implantation may help improve bone regeneration. The authors note that poor survival rates for implanted cells is a major challenge to the success of cell-based therapy. For their study, they preconditioned periosteal cells to the hypoxic and ischemic environment of the bone defect site by deleting prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing protein 2, resulting in hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1a) stabilization. They found that preconditioning the cells was associated with increased postimplantation cell survival and improved bone regeneration. Read more…
Read the abstract…

Temporary shutdown planned for CMS EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will shut down the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, to correct an error that prevents eligible professionals from claiming an exclusion for Measure 1 of the Patient Electronic Access Objective. Eligible professionals whose attestation was rejected as a result of not meeting objective 8 may modify and resubmit their attestation information after Feb. 21, 2016; those who have successfully attested to the EHR Incentive Programs’ 2015 requirements do not need to take any action. Read more…

Study: Native language could affect performance on sideline concussion test.
Findings presented at the annual meeting of the AAP suggest that native language could affect performance on a sideline concussion screening test. The research team tracked eye movements of 54 individuals given the King-Devick concussion screening test, 27 of whom were native English speakers and 27 for whom English was a second language. They found that non-native English speakers displayed significantly slower response times compared to native English speakers. The research team states that ideally, pre-season baselines should be established for all athletes to help account for performance changes, but argues that language “should be considered and factored into the interpretation.” Read more…Read the abstract (scroll to “The Visual Performance of Non-Native vs Native English Speakers on a Sideline Concussion Screen: An Objective Look at Eye Movement Recordings”)…

Submit data to AJRR to help satisfy Meaningful Use requirements.
Under the CMS Meaningful Use program, participating healthcare professionals must publicly report on their use of EHRs. One way to do so is to submit data to a specialized registry, such as the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR). Participation in the AJRR hip and knee arthroplasty registry can help orthopaedic surgeons meet 2016 Meaningful Use requirements. Learn more about participation in AJRR (PDF)…
Learn more about CMS EHR incentive programs…

Last call: Committee positions closing soon!
A number of openings on the AAOS Committee Appointment Program website are closing soon. Act now to apply for the following positions:

  • American Medical Association Senior Physicians Section Governing Council (liaison opening; closes Feb. 21)
  • Perioperative Surgical Home Learning Collaborative Steering Committee (two members; Feb. 21)
  • U.S. Bone & Joint Initiative (president-elect; Feb. 19 [TODAY])

Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)