Today’s Top Story
Study: Mortality rates lower overall for hospitalizations at teaching institutions, but not for hip fracture/replacement.
A study of hospitalization of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older found that lower mortality rates were recorded at major teaching hospitals compared with nonteaching hospitals. The study, published in JAMA, looked at 21,451,824 total hospitalizations at 4,483 hospitals, of which 250 (5.6 percent) were major teaching, 894 (19.9 percent) were minor teaching, and 3,339 (74.3 percent) were nonteaching hospitals. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was 8.1 percent at major teaching hospitals, 9.2 percent at minor teaching, and 9.5 percent at nonteaching, with a 1.5 percent mortality difference between major teaching and nonteaching hospitals. The primary outcome for the study was 30-day mortality rate for all hospitalizations and for 15 common medical conditions, one of which was hip fracture, and six surgical conditions, one of which was hip replacement. Mortality differences among hospital types for those two orthopaedic hospitalization types were not significantly significant. Read more…(paid subscription may be required)

Other News

Study: Warmer weather linked to higher risk of SSI.
A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology finds that the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) developing in patients increases in warmer weather, The New York Times reports. The retrospective cohort analysis involved more than 55 million hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of SSI between 1998 and 2011. Data from the National Climatic Data Center was used to estimate the monthly average temperatures for all of the more than 2,500 hospital locations. The researchers found that the highest incidence of SSI was in August, with the lowest in January. After controlling for demographic and hospital-level characteristics, they also found that for every 5-degree Fahrenheit increase in average monthly temperature, the risk of hospital admission for an SSI increased by 2.1 percent. Read more…
Read the abstract…

Study: Preventing the loss of a key molecule may delay onset of OA.
Results of a study published in the journal Nature Communications indicate that intra-articular injections of the molecule adenosine prevent the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in rats by helping healthy chondrocytes maintain cartilage, MedicalNewsToday reports. The researchers found that reduction in chondrocytes is driven by lower levels of adenosine surrounding the cells and also by loss of adenosine A2A receptors on the surface of the cells. They conclude that maintaining extracellular adenosine levels and targeting A2A receptors may represent a novel approach to treating OA. Read more…
Read the study…

Sodium bicarbonate shortage leads some hospitals to postpone elective surgical procedures.
A dwindling supply of medical sodium bicarbonate solution—the simple compound used in many procedures that basically amounts to sterile baking soda—is causing some hospitals to stockpile the pharmacy staple and postpone certain elective surgeries, reports The New York Times. Representatives of drug manufacturers Pfizer and Amphastar have indicated they do not know exactly when the shortage will end, but it will not be before next month for some forms of the product, while other formulations will not be in greater supply until August or later. Factors that may contribute to shortages include problems with suppliers of the raw ingredients as well as consolidation of the number of companies that produce certain drugs. According to Andrea Fischer, a spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), companies have been asked to alert FDA about any problems, but “there are no requirements that firms keep emergency supplies or that they stock up prior to any changes they make.” Read more…

California
The California Medical Association (CMA) is offering resources to help physicians navigate the changes taking effect July 1 with the implementation of a new law (AB 72) that will affect the billing practices of non-participating physicians providing covered, non-emergent care at in-network facilities including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and laboratories. The law was designed to reduce unexpected medical bills when patients go to an in-network facility but receive care from an out-of-network doctor. The resources, available to members only, include an FAQ, instructions for obtaining patient consent, a sample consent form, and an overview of billing requirements under the new law. The CMA says it is working “to ensure health plans and insurers do not game the system to pay artificially low reimbursement rates to physicians.” Read more…
CMA members: Access AB 72 resources…

Call for volunteers: International Committee.
July 15 is the last day to submit your application for a position on the International Committee (two member openings, one international member opening). The International Committee plans and conducts overseas education programs with diverse international groups and helps identify new market opportunities for AAOS education programs. Applicants for all positions must have previous experience working and/or teaching in a country other than the United States. Applicants for the member position must be active fellows, resident members, resident members osteopathic, candidate member applicants for fellowship, or candidate member applicants for fellowship osteopathic. Applicants for the international member position must be international members of AAOS. Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)

Call for abstracts: AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting.
Share your knowledge with orthopaedic surgeons from around the world at the AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting, to be held March 6–10, in New Orleans. Nowhere else will your discoveries reach such a wide-ranging orthopaedic audience. Please note the following deadlines:

  • June 1, 2017—Paper presentations, posters, or scientific exhibits
  • July 17, 2017—Orthopaedic Video Theater presentations

Presenters and all coauthors must disclose financial relationships in the AAOS Disclosure Database Program prior to abstract submission. Disclosure reported on April 1, 2017, or later is acceptable. Submit your abstracts…
Update your disclosures…