Today’s Top Story
FDA announces recall of one lot of Hospira Magnesium Sulfate in Water for Injection.
Hospira, Inc. has announced a voluntary recall of one lot of Magnesium Sulfate in Water for Injection (0.325 mEq Mg**/mL) 40 mg/mL 2g total, 50 mL (NDC: 0409-6729-24, Lot 53-113-JT, Expiry 1NOV2016) to the user level due to a confirmed customer report of an incorrect barcode on the primary bag labeling. The product has a barcode identifying the product contents on both the overwrap and on the primary container. The product is labeled with the correct printed name on the primary container and overwrap, and the barcode on the overwrap is correct; however, there is potential for the primary container barcode to be mislabeled with the barcode for Heparin Sodium 2000 USP units/1000 mL in 0.9% sodium chloride injection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that administration of the magnesium sulfate drug product to a patient who is prescribed heparin and in whom the magnesium sulfate is contraindicated can result in serious adverse events related to the drug’s pharmacologic action and may require medical intervention. The lot was distributed nationwide in the United States to wholesalers, distributors, and hospitals from September 2015 to November 2015. The agency states that anyone with an existing inventory of the recalled lot should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately. Read more…
Other News
Study: Higher surgeon caseloads of UKA and TKA linked to reduced risk of revision.
Findings from a study conducted in the United Kingdom and published in the Jan. 6 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) suggest that surgeons who perform higher caseloads of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures may be associated with reduced rates of revision. The research team reviewed 459,280 patient records (37,131 UKAs and 422,149 TKAs) from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales. They found that, for surgeons who performed fewer than 10 UKAs per year, the mean 8-year rate of implant survival was 87.9 percent, compared with 92.4 percent for those who performed 30 or more UKA per year. The research team did note that surgeons who performed a lower volume of UKAs tended to operate on younger and healthier patients, and were more likely to perform revisions to treat loosening and pain. In addition, an analysis of TKAs displayed a linear decrease in revision rate as caseload increased. Read the abstract…
Study: Intraoperative MCL injury may be treated with primary repair followed by hinged knee bracing without increased prosthetic constraint.
Data published in the Jan. 6 issue of JBJS suggest that intraoperative medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury can be treated with primary repair followed by hinged knee bracing without the need for increased prosthetic constraint. The authors conducted a retrospective review of 3,922 TKAs, of which 48 (1.2 percent) were associated with intraoperative MCL injury, of which 45 were available for study. Midsubstance lacerations were treated with end-to-end suture repair, and a screw-and-washer construct, suture, and/or suture anchors were used for reattachment of avulsions. In addition, all patients were instructed to wear an unlocked hinged knee brace for 6 weeks postoperatively. Overall, there were 24 midsubstance lacerations and 21 avulsions, 35 of which occurred during a cruciate-retaining TKA and 10 of which occurred during a posterior-stabilized TKA. At mean 99-month follow-up, the authors found no symptoms or physical examination findings of instability, and the mean Hospital for Special Surgery knee score had increased from 47 preoperatively to 85. However, five knees required intervention for stiffness and two required revision for aseptic loosening. Read the abstract…
Study: Discharge notes often written at higher comprehension level than functional reading level of the patient.
A study published online in The American Journal of Surgery suggests that patient discharge notes may often be written at too advanced an educational level, contributing to an increased likelihood of readmission. The researchers assessed information on 497 trauma patients and found that 204 (65 percent) had functional reading skills below the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of their dismissal note. Overall, only 74 patients (24 percent) possessed the reading skills to adequately comprehend their dismissal summary. The researchers found that there were 40 30-day readmissions among the study cohort, of which 65 percent were patients with inadequate literacy for dismissal summary comprehension. They argue that “in order to ensure patient comprehension, dismissal notes should be re-written to a 6th-grade student.” Read more…
Read the abstract…
Massachusetts.
The Boston Globe reports that that Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine has approved a new rule that, if adopted, would require surgeons to document each time they enter and leave the operating room. In addition, the board approved a rule that would require the primary surgeon to identify the backup physician who would assume responsibility if the first surgeon is going to leave the operating room. Before they go into effect, the rules require the approval of several additional state agencies by the end of March. Read more…
West Virginia.
An article from CBS News discusses a West Virginia law that allows patients who are addicted to painkillers to sue physicians who they claim contributed to their addiction. The writer notes that West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the United States, and that during the last year, the West Virginia Department of Health ordered the shutdown of 12 pain clinics out of 19 inspected by the agency. Read more…
Help build a safe and accessible playground in Orlando!
In 2000, hundreds of orthopaedic surgeons, allied health and industry partners, and community volunteers first joined forces with the AAOS to give back to the communities we serve by helping construct a safe and accessible playground so that children with and without disabilities could play together. Join us on Tuesday, March 1, 2016—as the Academy returns to the city where it all began—to help construct its 17th annual volunteer playground build. Enjoy great music, food and fun as you help to assemble playground equipment under the direction of seasoned project managers. No experience is necessary! Buses will run between the Orange County Convention Center and the build site from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and lunch will be provided at the location. Learn more and register to participate…
Call for volunteers: AMA representative for ACGME Review Committee for Orthopaedic Surgery.
AAOS seeks to nominate members to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Review Committee for Orthopaedic Surgery. Applicants for this position must be current American Medical Association (AMA) members with at least 5 years of experience as a program director in an ACGME-accredited program and for whom no more than 3 years have elapsed since serving in that capacity. Service experience in orthopaedic societies or other national professional organizations, academic appointment at the rank of associate professor or professor, and scholarly achievements are also required. In addition, applicants must be active fellows, candidate members, candidate members osteopathic, candidate member applicants for fellowship, or candidate member applicants for fellowship osteopathic. All applicants must provide the following: an online AAOS CAP application, a current full curriculum vitae, a current abbreviated curriculum vitae (not to exceed three pages), a 100-word biosketch, a letter of interest highlighting his or her expertise in the subject area, a statement that he or she is able to participate in full capacity, and a completed electronic application for AMA Nomination for External Leadership Position—RC-OS. Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)
