APRIL COVER STORY
Smoke in the OR: Perioperative Professionals Face Unique Risks as States Consider Surgical Smoke Legislation
Concerns about air quality in the OR during surgical procedures have been around for a long time. In fact, the first documentation that particulate matter in surgical smoke can be inhaled and deposited in the alveoli of the lungs occurred in 1975.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
OR Today Celebrates Nurses on World Health Day
Today (April 7) is designated at World Health Day by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a day to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives and remind world leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy. Nurses and other health workers are...
Lack Of PPE Poses Clear and Present Danger to Nurses
Without immediate action, limited supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and other lifesaving equipment will cause greater loss of life and increase the toll from COVID-19, warns the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). AACN...
3M to Import 166.5 Million Additional Respirators into the U.S. over Next Three Months
3M and the Trump Administration are announcing a plan to import 166.5 million respirators over the next three months to support healthcare workers in the United States. 3M and the Administration worked together to ensure that this plan does not create further...
Nurse Workforce Multiplier and Protection for Combatting the Coronavirus
KnowFalls, a developer of remote patient monitoring systems, announced the immediate availability...
FDA Issues New Policy on Devices for ECMO Therapy During COVID-19
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an immediately in effect guidance that allows manufacturers of certain FDA-cleared or FDA-approved extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and cardiopulmonary bypass devices to expand device indications or...
American College of Surgeons Issues Statement on PPE Shortages
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recognizes that many health care facilities are facing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks, gowns, and respirators. The ACS believes it is essential that surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and...
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight On: Tom Catena
Tom Catena has dedicated the last 20 years of his life working as a medical missionary in Africa. Nine of them he spent amid almost ceaseless civil conflict in war-torn Sudan, and for almost all 20, he’s lacked the resources and infrastructure that most Western...
Spotlight On: Darcy DiFede, RN, BSN, FAHA
If there’s any nurse who most personifies the adage that nurses are the masters of their own fates, it’s Darcy DiFede.
Spotlight On: Lori Wood
Among the various responsibilities she’s enjoyed in a 35-year nursing career, Lori Wood has held direct-care, education and management positions. But no matter what assignment she’s undertaken, “My heart is with the critical care patients,” she said.
Spotlight On: Tamara Kear, PhD, RN, CNS, CNN, FAAN, Executive Director, American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA)
By Matt Skoufalos From the age of five, Tamara Kear knew she was going to be a nurse when she grew up. She can’t think of a time she’d considered any other profession. “When I got into high school, I created my course load to lead me toward that direction and never...
Spotlight On Pamela Davis, Assistant Head Nurse, Mount Sinai Health System
Pamela Davis will be the first to tell you she’s not a typical 61-year-old. An assistant head nurse at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, she’s at the point in her career where she knows “a lot of nurses are probably still looking for jobs.”
PRODUCT SHOWROOM
Sterilization Market Faces Challenges
The global sterilization services market is projected to reach $3.31 billion by 2022, according to MarketandMarkets. This indicates a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% from 2017 to 2022. The growth of the market can be attributed to factors such as an...
Medline Advanced Mini Bowie Dick Test
Medline has launched its Advanced Mini Bowie Dick Test (MDS200425). Primarily intended to detect air leaks within pre-vacuum sterilizers, the mini has advanced diagnostic capabilities, such as the ability to detect wet steam or excessive dry time, due to its purple to...
Healthmark Insulation Tester with optional Bi-Polar Fixture and Wire Tester
Designed for testing electrosurgical instruments, the low frequency high voltage Insulation Tester is used to detect and locate defects such as pinholes, cracks and bare spots in the jacket or coating of laparoscopic and bi-polar electrosurgical instruments....
Getinge Pack Rotary Sealer
Packaging small and large instruments can be time consuming and sometimes troublesome. The Getinge Pack Rotary Sealer provides a best-in-class combination of sterility protection and workflow efficiency by reducing the need for human judgment and intervention that...
Case Solutions Multi-Enzymatic Cleaners and Wipes
Tackle pretreatment at point-of-use with Case Solutions Multi-Enzymatic cleaners and wipes, harnessing the power of enzymes. PentaPrep Multi-Enzymatic Pre-Soak uses protease, lipase, amylase and several cellulases to target specific types of organic material,...
Belimed WD 290 IQ
The WD 290 IQ is Belimed’s solution for medium and large SPDs, where consistent performance, high throughput, efficiency and tailored automation enables busy departments to meet the increasing processing and growing productivity demands of today and the future. As...
OUT OF THE OR
Pinboard / Contest – April 2020
Breast Density: Separating myth from fact
Mammograms remain the gold standard for detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages, potentially saving lives. So, why do some women receive a letter after a negative mammogram – meaning there’s no sign of cancer – asking them to consider additional tests?
An Overview of Learned Motivators
By Daniel Bobinski What drives us to do what we do? Many social scientists say there are two types of drivers; extrinsic and intrinsic. Personally, I preferred the terms learned and natural, as I think they’re easier to understand that way. This month, I want to...
Spice Up Salad with Moroccan Twist
This salad is a colorful and tasty addition to an array of salads on a buffet or the perfect side dish to a grilled entree. It also is a lovely first course salad along with some warm pita bread.
Healthy on a Budget
With roughly 10% of the typical American paycheck spent on food, it’s easy to assume that eating healthy costs a bundle. I hear it often as I counsel patients. But research says otherwise.
Stabilization Training and Why It’s Important
Balance exercises require a more attentive mindset and that can improve three important areas of the body.
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