Did hospital lack fire safety plan? OR fire reveals N.Y.C. hospital's safety deficit. Lack of prevention plan was "immediate jeopardy situation."

Woman left brain-damaged after gastric surgery blames manufacturer for insufficient surgeon training. The court sided with the company, noting that it met the FDA's requirements.

Who was to blame for unnecessary appendectomy? Radiologist mixes up CT scans, but hospital should take most of the blame, says jury in $6M verdict.

Researchers target the 7 deadliest and most expensive emergency surgeries. Together, they account for more than 80% of deaths and inpatient costs.

FDA Panel: Synthetic Cartilage Implant for Big Toe Should Be Approved. The Cartiva device is used to treat degenerative and post-traumatic arthritis.

No one recognizes retained objects, but judge won't toss negligence case. Two pieces of plastic film found in patient's uterus, but how did they get there?

Standardize your skin prep practices. Get patients, surgeons and staff on board with your pre-op bathing, hair-clipping and skin-antisepsis protocols.

The new standard in endoscope reprocessing. A new national guideline offers clear advice for proper high-level disinfection.

Take the bundled approach to infection control. Standardized protocols optimize efforts to prevent SSIs.

Is FDA's push to ban powdered gloves long overdue? Experts say severe health hazards have been well known for years.

Making sure it's sterile. Sterilization assurance confirms what you can't see.

The link between warming and wound infections. The latest evidence shows that hypothermia during surgery is associated with greater infection risk.

5 tips for better instrument decontamination. Removing variables and automating the process are the keys to better cleaning.

Look beneath the surface. Take an in-depth look at how you disinfect your clinical environment.

Burning platforms, coordinated care and SSI prevention. Q&A with Zeev Kain, MD, PhD, anesthesiologist and perioperative surgical home proponent.

Big companies offering big perk to employees: Free Surgery. More and more large companies are saving money by offering facilities flat fees for common procedures.

TJC defends its pain management standards. The organization notes that opioid prescriptions were already on the rise before it released requirements for treating patients' pain.

Dissatisfied patients? One hospital system is giving them refunds. The hope is it will pay off in improved patient satisfaction scores.

ENT doc sexually assaulted at least 5 patients, civil suits claim. 5 patients sue surgeon who allegedly sexually assaulted them. The Calif. physician has pled not guilty to the charges and is in jail in lieu of $3M bail.

New guidelines on overlapping surgeries. ACS releases new guidelines on double-booking surgeries. "Overlapping operations" are OK, but patients should be informed.