Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for May 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Guidelines Updated for Radiotherapy After Prostatectomy
FRIDAY, May 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Clinical guidelines on adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy have been updated, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Urological Association.
Adjuvant and Salvage Radiotherapy after Prostatectomy: ASTRO/AUA Guideline
Experts Develop Standardized Tool for Describing Cell Therapies
THURSDAY, May 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A tool has been developed that can improve standardization and transparency when describing cell therapies, according to a report published in the May 15 issue of the The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
High Costs Associated With Physician Burnout in U.S.
THURSDAY, May 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — High costs are associated with physician turnover and reduced clinical hours attributed to burnout, according to a study published online May 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Long-Term Survival Similar for Endovascular, Open AAA Repair
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm, long-term overall survival is similar with either endovascular repair or open repair, according to a study published in the May 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Reading Visit Notes May Improve Medication Management
WEDNESDAY, May 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Reading clinical notes can help patients to understand why medications are prescribed and improves medication adherence for some patients, according to a brief research report published online May 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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FDA Permits Marketing of Test to Detect Periprosthetic Joint Infection
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Synovasure Lateral Flow Test Kit was granted approval for marketing as an aid in detecting periprosthetic joint infection when evaluating patients for revision surgery, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.
Cancer Consultation Low in Noncurable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma do not have a specialized cancer consultation and most do not receive cancer-directed therapy, according to a study published online May 27 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Guidance Updated for Sedation in Pediatric Dental Patients
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance for monitoring and managing pediatric dental patients during sedation; the guidelines were published online May 28 in Pediatrics.
Poverty Ups Risk for Amputation After Knee Replacement
TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Lower socioeconomic status is associated with an increased risk for above-knee amputation (AKA) after periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee, according to a study recently published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
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Vertical Plating Offers Benefit for Mandibular Body Fractures
FRIDAY, May 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For treatment of mandibular body fractures, vertical plating offers equal or greater resistance to torsional forces and is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative complications and operative time, according to a study published online May 23 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
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U.S. Lawmakers Say WHO Opioid Guidelines Too Lax
THURSDAY, May 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The World Health Organization’s pain care guidelines contain false claims about the safety of prescription opioid painkillers and should be withdrawn, two U.S. lawmakers say.
Firearms Leading Cause of Death Among Young Adult Men
THURSDAY, May 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Firearm mortality in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia is highest among young adult men, and is strongly associated with race, ethnicity, and low education levels, according to a study published online May 21 in The Lancet Public Health.
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Targeted Laser Surgery Treats Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) targeting greater amygdala volume is more likely to be associated with Engel I outcomes for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE), according to a study published online May 21 in Epilepsia.
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Weight Loss Tied to Adverse Outcomes in Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant
WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Substantial weight loss before deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) is associated with worse outcomes among DDKT recipients, according to a study published online May 21 in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
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Clinical Drug Diversion Costly to Health Care Organizations
TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health care organizations lost nearly $454 million due to clinical drug diversion in 2018, according to the 2019 Drug Diversion Digest, released by Protenus Inc.
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Postoperative Infection Rate Similar Across Biologics in RA
MONDAY, May 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing arthroplasty, the risk for postoperative infection is similar across biologics but is increased with glucocorticoid use, according to a study published online May 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Many Lives Could Be Saved if All Hospitals Had Grade A Rating
FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than 50,000 lives could be saved if all hospitals had an avoidable death rate equivalent to “A” grade hospitals, according to an updated report prepared for The Leapfrog Institute.
Private Insurers Pay 241 Percent of What Medicare Would Pay
FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Prices paid to hospitals for privately insured patients in 2017 averaged 241 percent of what Medicare would have paid, with wide variation in prices among states, according to a report published by the RAND Corporation.
Open Heart Surgery Beats Stents for Multivessel Disease
FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery may be a better treatment option than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for most patients with more than one blocked heart artery, according to a study published online May 1 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
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Recs Updated for TB Screening, Treatment in Health Care Workers
THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines have been updated for screening and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) infection among health care personnel, according to research published in the May 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Transition Planning for Senior Surgeons Needed
THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Society of Surgical Chairs is offering transition planning guidance for senior surgeons, according to a special communication published online May 15 in JAMA Surgery.
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Risk for Prolonged Opioid Use Up in Patients Receiving Tramadol
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of tramadol alone after surgery is associated with an increased risk for prolonged opioid use, similar to that seen with other short-acting opioids, according to a study published online May 14 in The BMJ.
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Opioid Quantity Prescribed After Musculoskeletal Injury Tied to Prolonged Use
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For opioid-naive patients treated for a surgical musculoskeletal injury, the quantity of opioid prescribed, but not opioid type, is associated with prolonged opioid use, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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Tool Predicts Quality Measures After Ventral Hernia Repair
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Outcomes Reporting App for Clinical and Patient Engagement (ORACLE) tool can predict quality measures following ventral hernia repair (VHR) and facilitate preoperative surgeon-patient discussions, according to a study published online May 2 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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Fournier Gangrene Is Safety Concern With SGLT2 Inhibitors
MONDAY, May 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Fournier gangrene (FG) is a safety concern for adults with diabetes receiving treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, according to a study published online May 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Health Professionals Supportive of Medicinal Cannabis
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Health professionals are generally supportive of medicinal cannabis use but report a lack of knowledge about its use, according to a review published online May 6 in PLOS ONE.
Doctors Aware of Patient Difficulties Affording Medical Care
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians are aware of patients’ difficulty with affording medical care and consider out-of-pocket costs in their decision making, according to an article published in a supplement to the May 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Sharing Data With Surgeons Can Reduce Overuse of Mohs Surgery
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Sharing personalized practice pattern data with physicians that is benchmarked to national data for their peers can reduce overuse of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) among outliers, according to a study published online May 5 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Prehospital Tx Guidelines May Improve Outcomes in Severe TBI
FRIDAY, May 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of prehospital traumatic brain injury (TBI) guidelines is associated with improvement in survival to hospital discharge for patients with severe TBI, according to a study published online May 8 in JAMA Surgery.
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2018 Saw More Employed Physicians Than Self-Employed
THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, employed physicians outnumbered self-employed physicians, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
ACS Sets Goal to Cut Cancer Mortality 40 Percent by 2035
THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The American Cancer Society (ACS) has set a goal of a 40 percent reduction in overall cancer mortality by 2035, according to a study published online May 8 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
CDC: Uninsurance Levels Did Not Change Significantly in 2018
THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, the percentage of U.S. individuals who were uninsured was not significantly different from the numbers in 2017, although uninsurance increased among adults aged 45 to 64 years, according to a report published online May 9 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Prices Will Soon Be Included in TV Drug Ads
WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In response to public demands for action to control drug costs, the top U.S. health official says TV advertisements for prescription drugs will soon have to include prices.
In 2015 to 2016, 45.8 Percent of U.S. Population Used Rx Drugs
WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2015 to 2016, 45.8 percent of the U.S. population used prescription drugs within the past 30 days, according to a May data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Combat Application Tourniquet Suitable for Use in Children
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) is suitable for use in the upper and lower extremities of school-age children, according to a study published online May 7 in Pediatrics.
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External Reference Pricing Could Cut Drug Costs in U.S.
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The average price for single-source brand-name drugs is higher in the United States than in other countries, indicating that external reference pricing could reduce costs, according to a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
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Efforts Needed to Ensure Publication of All Trials
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Efforts are needed to ensure all completed large trials are reported, according to a research letter published online May 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Vascular Surgery for Gun Injuries Carries Higher Mortality Risk
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Vascular surgery after a firearm injury is associated with an increased risk for complications and mortality, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
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More Than Half of U.S. Adults Have Medical Financial Hardship
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Medical financial hardship affects more than half of adults in the United States, according to a study published online May 1 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Implementing Surgical Safety Checklist Reduces Mortality
FRIDAY, May 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There has been a significant reduction in surgical mortality during the last decade in Scotland that is partially attributable to the implementation of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist, according to a study published online April 16 in the British Journal of Surgery.
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Patients Satisfied With Oral Sedation for Cataract Surgery
THURSDAY, May 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Using oral sedation during cataract surgery does not negatively impact patient satisfaction compared with using an intravenous (IV) sedative, according to a study published online April 16 in Ophthalmology.
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Cognitive Function Does Not Predict Pediatric Bariatric Surgery Outcome
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Youth with cognitive impairment or developmental disability (CI/DD) have weight-loss trajectories after bariatric surgery similar to those of their peers with typical cognitive function, according to a study published online in the May issue of Pediatrics.
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Patient Hand Contamination With Drug-Resistant Organisms Common
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patient hand contamination with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is common and correlates with contamination on high-touch hospital room surfaces, according to a study published online April 13 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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