Ophthalmology and orthopedics led the list of OR specialties with incorrect surgery in an analysis of 51⁄2 years of data from 130 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. A wrong implant was the most common error type for both specialties, accounting for 22 of 45 ophthalmology events and 12 of…

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a December 3, 2009 notice outlined regulatory concerns about the Steris System 1 processor and recommended that facilities make a transition to alternative products as soon as possible. In the notice, the FDA says Steris has "significantly modified" the Steris System 1 over…

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Whether called SILS (single-incision laparoscopic surgery), LESS (laparoendoscopic single-site surgery), SPA (single-port access) surgery, or SAS (single-site access surgery), to name a few, these techniques have one thing in common—they are performed through a single site, usually the umbilicus. Single-site surgery is capturing interest, and surgeons are asking to try…

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A sharps injury strikes fear in every member of the surgical team. Regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requiring organizations to reduce employees' risk of injuries from sharps carry fines for those who don't follow them (sidebar). Specialty associations such as the American College of Surgeons (ACS)…

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There are certain drugs Medicare will not reimburse your facility for— even if they are given to a patient during surgery. These medications fall in the confusing category of self-administered drugs, or SAD. It's wise to know your organization's policy on SAD. If the policy is to bill patients for…

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OR leaders spend a great deal of time and effort on improving on-time starts for first cases of the day. Is that time well spent? How can you determine whether reducing late starts would help save substantive costs before you embark on the effort? Two articles in Anesthesia & Analgesia…

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New recommendations for preventing surgical fires seek to change a long-standing practice—open delivery of 100% oxygen to the face during head, face, neck, or upper-chest surgery. The new advice from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) and ECRI Institute includes: Use only air for open delivery on the face for…

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Not long after the March 2008 death of Florida teenager Stephanie Kuleba from malignant hyperthermia (MH), a group of anesthesiologists, emergency physicians, and surgery center officials began talking about how her death could have been prevented. The result of their research and discussions is proposed guidelines on emergency transfer of…

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Third in a series on ASC quality improvement. As is common practice, patients at Delaware Surgery Center in Dover have always been asked about allergies to penicillin and other substances. But when some started having adverse reactions to the alternatives, the center's staff looked for ways to improve results. They…

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