Editor's Note This study, led by researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, finds that a liberal preoperative fasting policy allowing adults scheduled for general anesthesia to drink clear fluids until arrival in the OR was associated with reduced fasting duration and improved patient well-being with regard…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, finds that postoperative opioid prescriptions written by advanced practice clinicians (APCs), defined as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, had higher total dosages compared with those written by surgeons. A total of 628,197 surgical procedures involving 581,387 adults…

Read More

According to the 2022 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey, many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are facing a critical shortage of surgical technologists (STs). The percentage of leaders reporting an increase in the number of ST open positions jumped from 22% in 2020 and 28% in 2021 to 42% in 2022, and…

Read More

Many healthcare professionals are aware of single-use device reprocessing and its benefits. According to the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, the savings generated by such programs can strengthen a facility’s financial sustainability and help provide a path for more responsible environmental stewardship. Sometimes, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) may experience situations…

Read More

Navigating contracts with anesthesia when anesthesiology services are suffering from workforce shortages and high costs is often tricky and complex. The biggest mistake ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) make is that they do not know what they want when entering a contract negotiation with an anesthesia provider. As a result, ASCs…

Read More

Editor's Note The OR Manager Conference offers unique leadership education to perioperative leaders that aims to maximize efficiencies, overcome challenges, and improve operational skills. You too can access the educational content by purchasing a session recording package from the conference for just $150. All packages—we offer six total—include six audio…

Read More

Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, find that mortality after major surgery is elevated in older adults who are frail or who have probable dementia. A total of 1,193 major surgical procedures in 992 Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed. Among the findings: Overall,…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 29 posted Exela Pharma Sciences’ expansion of its recall of Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP, 8.4%, 50 mEq/50 mL vial, 20-count carton. The product poses a safety concern because of vial breakage with flying glass when pressurized while preparing the product for…

Read More

Editor's Note This study by researchers at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, finds that simple adjustments to single-use surgical packs can have a significant impact on waste reduction and cost-savings in general surgery cases. Researchers tracked unused items in two standard packs opened for 35 general surgery cases. A new…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on December 7 that it was recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference for its actions to decarbonize the healthcare sector and make healthcare facilities more resilient to climate change. The Joint Commission formally…

Read More