In the U.S. there are more than 150 million emergency department (ED) visits each year, and the number is expected to rise. ED physicians face enormous pressure to quickly and correctly diagnose patients, who often present with ambiguous symptoms. Choosing…
Patient Safety & Outcomes
An Aurora-based Children’s Hospital Colorado team has performed the hospital’s and region’s first heart and liver dual-organ transplant. Only 38 pediatric heart and liver dual-organ transplants have been performed in the U.S., according to a Dec. 15 news release from…
About a dozen states are experiencing a surge in emergency department visits related to a new combination of fentanyl and a sedative 100 to 200 times more potent than xylazine, The New York Times reported Dec. 15. The dangerous drug…
The Oregon Nurses Association has criticized Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Ore., for allegedly allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to interfere with patient care and privacy. In recent months, ICE has been bringing detainees to Legacy Emanuel Medical…
A study comparing two flu therapies, Xofluza (baloxavir) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir), found reduced hospitalization risks and fewer emergency department visits among outpatients taking Xofluza. The research, published Dec. 3 in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, assessed clinical outcomes of…
New Jersey is rolling out new obligations for physicians aimed at improving patient safety during sensitive medical exams. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has notified more than 67,000 physicians of new state medical board rules regarding breast, pelvic,…
Wilmington, Del.-based Nemours Children’s plans to open an institute for maternal fetal health to enhance care for mothers who receive a serious fetal diagnosis during their pregnancy. The institute’s first location will open at Nemours Children’s Hospital in early 2026…
CMS issued a proposed rule Dec. 9 that would make several changes to the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, effective Jan. 1. Four notes: 1. The Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, launched July 1, is a six-year mandatory model that…
A Michigan man who received a kidney transplant died last December after contracting rabies from an organ donor who also died from the disease, the CDC said in a Dec. 4 report. Four notes: 1. In December 2024, a Michigan…
New Brunswick, N.J.-based Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has been designated a National Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders. The designation was earned in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, also based…