Anesthesia
Build a strong anesthesia quality program to boost patient safety and the bottom line
Quality indicators for anesthesia For the past several years, physicians have participated in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) established by Medicare as a way to assess the quality of patient care and tie that to reimbursement. Beginning in 2015, a negative payment adjustment hit individuals and group practices whose…
Vanderbilt's anesthesia QI program reduces adverse postoperative events
The anesthesia quality improvement program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville can claim a variety of successes, notably less postoperative hypo- and hyper-glycemia and fewer wound infections. When anesthesia providers noticed they weren’t monitoring blood glucose in patients with diabetes as frequently as their own goals specified, they put…
Effect of anesthetic management on total joint SSIs
Editor's Note Though recent studies using large databases have concluded that neuraxial compared with general anesthesia is associated with a decreased incidence of SSIs in total joint patients, this 11-year retrospective, controlled study found no difference. The use of peripheral nerve blocks also was not found to influence the incidence…
Calming words as effective as preop medication to relax patients
Editor's Note A few calming words from an anesthesiologist are as effective as medication in relaxing patients before anesthesia and surgery, finds research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting. Researchers compared conversational hypnosis (ie, talking quietly and positively and focusing the patient’s attention on something other than the upcoming…
Propofol dose needed for general anesthesia varies widely
Editor's Note The amount of propofol required for general anesthesia varies widely among patients, and some may be able to receive a lower dose than usually administered, according to a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting in San Diego. The amount of propofol required to produce unconsciousness was…
Monitoring anesthesia, oxygen levels reduces postop delirium in elderly
Editor's Note Elderly cardiac surgery patients are at increased risk of developing delirium and other changes in cognitive function postoperatively. However, research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting, found using monitors to track depth of anesthesia and oxygenation levels significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative delirium and associated cognitive…
ASA, Premier extend Perioperative Surgical Home learning collaborative
Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Premier, Inc, will extend their national learning collaborative to improve inpatient and outpatient care for surgical patients for an additional 2 years. ASA chose Premier in 2014 to develop a learning collaborative to implement the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of…
Decision aids help patients discuss anesthesia options
Editor's Note Informational brochures help patients discuss anesthesia options with their anesthesia providers, finds a study presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting in San Diego. In the study, 67 patients were given brochures during a preoperative clinic visit that explained the different types of anesthesia, risks, and benefits, and…
General anesthesia safe for infants
Editor's Note Concerns have been raised about the safety of anesthesia on the developing brains of young children, but new research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting found brief exposure to general anesthesia did not impair neurological development. Researchers examined 700 infants, up to 60 weeks old, who were…
Sheathing laryngoscope after intubation lowers contamination risks
Editor's Note When the anesthesiologist sheaths the laryngoscope immediately after endotracheal intubation, contamination of the IV hub, patient, and intraoperative environment is significantly reduced, this study finds. In a simulated study using ultraviolet light to detect contamination of seven sites on a patient, contamination was found on an average of…
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