Today’s Top Story
Study: Computer-assisted cup placement may not improve outcomes for THA.
Data from a study published online in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research suggest that computer-assisted surgery (CAS) used for cup placement may not confer any substantial advantage in function, wear rate, or survivorship following total hip arthroplasty (THA). The authors conducted a randomized controlled study of 60 patients who underwent THA using CAS (n = 30) or conventional technique (n = 30) for cup placement. At 10-year follow-up, of 28 available patients in the CAS cohort and 27 in the conventional cohort, the authors found no significant difference between groups as assessed by Harris Hip Score, mean acetabular wear, or survivorship free from aseptic loosening.
Read the abstract…
Other News
Study: 30 percent of antibiotic prescriptions written in ambulatory setting may be inappropriate.
A study published in the May 3 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association finds that as much as 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed during ambulatory care visits in the United States may be unnecessary. The researchers reviewed data on 184,032 visits from the 2010–2011 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), and found that 12.6 percent resulted in antibiotic prescriptions. They found that 506 antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 population were written annually in the ambulatory setting. Of those, only 352 were estimated to be appropriate based on diagnosis.
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Read the complete study…
Surgeon General calls for physician training as a means to address opioid epidemic.
The Hill reports that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, has called for more robust training for physicians who prescribe opioids. Dr. Murthy states that prescribing practices are “a key part” of reducing the use of opioids, noting that overprescribing in the 1990s may be a driving factor in the opioid epidemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports mandatory prescriber training, but some physicians groups and many health insurers have argued that physicians should have flexibility to prescribe based on the individual needs of the patient.
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FDA notes continuing concerns regarding sterile drug products produced by Medaus Pharmacy in Birmingham, Ala.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding healthcare professionals and patients not to use unexpired drug products that are intended to be sterile that were produced by Medaus Pharmacy in Birmingham, Ala., due to lack of sterility assurance. A recent inspection of the company’s facility revealed unsanitary conditions, including poor sterile production practices. The agency has issued a formal request to the compounding pharmacy to recall all non-expired lots of drug products intended to be sterile, but the company has refused to comply. On April 1, 2016, FDA issued its initial statement alerting healthcare professionals not to use purportedly sterile drugs from Medaus. FDA requests healthcare professionals immediately check their medical supplies and quarantine any Medaus drug products marketed as sterile.
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Read the initial alert…
CDC initiative reminds providers to wash their hands.
CDC has launched a new campaign to remind healthcare professionals and other stakeholders of the importance of hand hygiene. The agency notes that, although hand contact is known to be a major pathway for infection in medical facilities, studies show that on average, healthcare professionals clean their hands less than half of the times they should. The campaign promotes healthcare provider adherence to CDC hand hygiene recommendations by addressing myths and misperceptions about hand hygiene, including that alcohol-based hand sanitizer contributes to antibiotic resistance and that it is more damaging to hands than washing with soap and water. The initiative also encourages patients and their loved ones to ask members of their healthcare team to clean their hands if they don’t see them do so before providing care.
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Learn more about hand hygiene…
New Jersey.
The New Jersey Law Journal reports that a three-judge Appellate Division panel has ruled that documents prepared by a healthcare facility for filing with the state Department of Health following incidents in which a patient is injured or dies are not subject to discovery in medical liability cases, even if the facility fails to comply with reporting requirements. The court ruled that the Patient Safety Act establishes an “absolute privilege” for such documents. Absolute privilege is meant to ensure that healthcare facilities make full disclosure of any possible errors and that steps are taken to make sure those errors do not occur again.
Read more…(registration may be required)
Call for volunteers: Diversity Advisory Board.
July 31 is the last day to submit your application for a position on the Diversity Advisory Board (one resident member opening). The Diversity Advisory Board serves as resource to all AAOS bodies on issues involving diversity in the orthopaedic community and in the provision of culturally competent musculoskeletal care. Applicants for this position must be PGY1, PGY2, or PGY3 resident members, and must provide a letter from their residency program director indicating the residency program’s support of the resident applicant to fully participate in the board, including attendance at all meetings and conference calls.
Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)
