Today’s Top Story
A message from AAOS President David Teuscher, MD, regarding the Nepal earthquake.
On April 25, the nation of Nepal sustained an estimated 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Academy leadership and the International Committee have been monitoring the situation regarding immediate and mid-term needs. As the AAOS is not a disaster response agency, it is working closely with disaster response program partners around the world, as well as the Nepal Orthopaedic Association. Disaster response organizations have infrastructure in place to make volunteer response efforts safe and effective. As with previous global challenges of this nature, a coordinated effort will likely provide the most effective results. At this time, disaster response agencies are not seeking additional staffing support. However, they anticipate needing financial and supply-related support. AAOS is working to identify organizations seeking donations and support in Nepal.
More than 275 AAOS members have registered in the disaster responder database following their participation in the Disaster Response Course, developed by the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons and co-sponsored by AAOS, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. As new information regarding the evolving response becomes available, it will be posted to the AAOS website at www.aaos.org/disaster-nepal.
Please direct any inquiries to Amanda Decker, manager of international programs, at 847-384-4169, or via email at disasterprep@aaos.org.
Other News
FDA announces nationwide recall of one lot of Hospira bupivacaine HCl injection.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a voluntary, manufacturer recall of one lot of Hospira Preservative-Free Bupivacaine HCl Injection, USP, 0.5% (5 mg/mL), 30 mL Single-dose (NDC: 0409-1162-02, Lot 38-515-DK, Expiry 1FEB2016) due to one confirmed customer complaint of visible orange and black particles embedded and free-floating within a single-dose glass teartop vial. The particles have been identified as iron oxide. The lot was distributed from July 2014 to September 2014. FDA states that anyone with an existing inventory of the recalled lot should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately. Read more…
Study: Treatment with dalteparin may not be associated with reduced risk of CIVTE for patients with surgically treated lower leg fracture.
Findings from a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma suggest that administration of dalteparin may not be associated with reduced incidence of clinically important venous thromboembolism (CIVTE) compared to placebo. The authors conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of 258 patients with surgically repaired, isolated tibia, fibula, or ankle fractures, who received either subcutaneous dalteparin 5,000 units (n = 130) or matching placebo (n = 128) once daily for 2 weeks. At postoperative day 14±2 and 3-month follow-up, they observed no difference between dalteparin and placebo for either CIVTE or safety. In addition, no fatal pulmonary emboli or major bleeding was reported in either cohort. Read the abstract…
Study: Acetate templating may be effective alternative to digital templating for THA planning.
According to a study published online in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, acetate onlay templating on digitally calibrated images may serve as a reliable substitute for digital templating with specialized software for preoperative planning for total hip arthroplasty (THA). The researchers first compared onlay templating directly over digital radiographs on an LCD monitor against digital templating, and then compared both against actual implanted components. The found that both acetate and digital templates demonstrated moderate accuracy in predicting within one size of the eventual implanted acetabular cup. Overall, acetate templating was better than digital templating at predicting the femoral stem, and both methods showed almost perfect intraobserver agreement in reproducibility. The researchers note that acetate templating is less expensive than digital templating and can be performed more quickly. Read the abstract…
Study: Many hospitals fall short in CDI prevention efforts.
Data from a study published online in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology suggest that many hospitals in the United States may be able to improve efforts to prevent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The research team surveyed 571 US hospitals about practices used to prevent CDI, and found that nearly all had programs for monitoring CDI, using protective gear, separating hospital rooms, and utilizing special cleaning techniques when treating a patient with CDI. However, 48 percent of respondents did not have antimicrobial stewardship programs in place. In addition, the researchers found that nearly three-quarters of hospitals lacked written policies to test patients for CDI when they developed diarrhea while taking or soon after taking antibiotics. Read more…
Read the abstract…
Reminder: May 20 deadline for physicians to review Open Payments data before next public release.
Physicians have until May 20, 2015, to review and dispute reports regarding their financial interactions with drug and medical device manufacturers as reported under the Open Payments (Sunshine Act) program. Disputes initiated by May 20 will be flagged as such when the data set is made public on June 30. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) states that data can still be disputed after public release, but corrections will be held until the next Open Payments system update. Read more…
Access the Open Payments website…
Vote now! AAOS 2016 Nominating Committee, six resolutions and three bylaw amendments.
Voting has begun to elect the six members of the 2016 Nominating Committee and to determine action on six AAOS resolutions and three bylaw amendments. Online voting is quick, secure, and confidential. For the resolutions and bylaw amendments, at least 20 percent of the total fellowship must cast ballots for the voting to be valid. Ballots must be submitted by Wednesday, May 27, 2015. If you have questions, please contact the AAOS Voting Hotline, at 800-999-2939. The ballot is available at: Read more…(member login required)
Submit your AAOS 2016 Annual Meeting abstracts now!
Share your knowledge with orthopaedic surgeons from around the world at the 2016 AAOS Annual Meeting, to be held March 1-5, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. Nowhere else will your discoveries reach such a wide-ranging orthopaedic audience! June 1 is the deadline to submit abstracts for paper presentations, poster presentations, and scientific exhibits. The deadline for Orthopaedic Video Theater submissions is July 15. Please note that, prior to abstract submission, presenters and all co-authors must disclose current financial relationships in the AAOS Disclosure Database Program. Submit your abstract…
