A critical eye on Infuse use studies
A leading spine journal is casting a critical eye on industry-supported research that has led to widespread use of Medtronic's controversial bone growth product Infuse. The June 2011 issue of Spine Journal carries a strongly worded editorial about the trial designs, reporting bias, and peer review shortfalls that the authors…
Anesthesiologists release infection control document
Updated infection control practices from the American Society of Anesthesiologists draw on data and national guidelines to inform anesthesia providers of practices shown to alter the incident of health care-associated infections. The recommendations also focus on prevention of occupational transmission of infection in anesthesiologists. The document has not been reviewed…
Is your OR as clean as it could be? Evidence shows more is needed
Every OR has policies and procedures for environmental cleaning. But how do you know surfaces are truly free of pathogens that could transmit infection? The stakes are high. Environmental contamination plays a role in the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and Clostridium difficile, among others. Evidence…
Surgery by flashlight as Joplin team operates through tornado
It started out as a typical Sunday morning on call—a 7:30 am C section, home for a nap, then a call-back at 3 pm for orthopedic cases. But that Sunday, May 22, 2011, turned out to be anything but typical for Staci Perry, a surgical technologist at St John's Regional…
Editorial
What if in the future nurses and physicians sat down in the same anatomy classes? What if schools offered more joint learning opportunities? That could go a long way toward building the closer collaboration needed to advance the culture of safety. Nurses and physicians learning together could advance safety by…
Laryngospasms to sing at conference
Working in the OR can be intense and stressful. Music and humor are proven antidotes. A group of nurse anesthetists discovered that when they sang "Breakin' Up is Hard to Do" at a Christmas party at the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia in 1990. One of the students came up and…
Is it clean? An objective way to check
Observation can sometimes give you an idea about how well the staff is complying with OR cleaning protocols, but it can't tell you about organic residues that might remain on surfaces. Bacterial cultures of the OR environment can also have drawbacks. To evaluate the effectiveness of its cleaning, a Connecticut…
Meaningful use: What it means for ORs
Meaningful use is a much-used term in the push for electronic health records (EHRs). Eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals, and physicians can earn federal incentives for adopting and demonstrating "meaningful use" of certified EHR technology (sidebar). Your hospital's meaningful use discussions may be taking place away from the OR. But…
Free Daily News
- Study explores use of antibiotics as alternative to pediatric appendectomy
- Medical device shortages present pediatric patient challenges, FDA warns
- Expansive study highlights GLP-1 risks, potential beyond weight loss, diabetes treatment
- HHS report highlights cost, access, quality concerns with private equity in healthcare
- Study: Racial, gender disparities persist in bariatric surgery
- Study: Dry eye risks complicate cataract surgery recovery
- Study: Observational learning ineffective in ensuring nursing student infection control compliance
- Students innovate to reduce OR plastic waste
- OR Business Management Conference 2025 features fresh perspectives, new tracks
- Survey: Bariatric surgery’s fertility benefits not widely understood
Career Center
- Registered Nurse / Med-Surg - Lehigh Valley Health Network - Allentown, PA
- General Surgery Opportunities in Beautiful, Coastal Southeastern Virginia - Riverside Health System - , VA
- ENT Skull Base Surgeon/Rhinologist (Edison, New Jersey) - Hackensack Meridian Health - Edison, NJ
- General Surgeon - Anna Jaques Hospital - Newburyport, MA