With checklist, Michigan ICUs hold infections down for 3 years
The state of Michigan, which used a 5-step checklist to virtually eliminate central-line bloodstream infections in ICUs, has been able to keep the number near zero for 3 years. Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, a patient safety expert at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who developed the checklist, says the…
Managing manufacturers' instructions
Why do we so often see the statement, "use in accordance with manufacturer's instructions" in sterilization and disinfection standards and guidelines? That advice is in recommendations from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), and the Centers for Disease Control and…
Lean project helps to revitalize an SPD
Missing instruments and supplies can be one of the OR's biggest frustrations. Chasing down instruments or retrieving items during a case wastes time, irritates surgeons, and prolongs the patient's time under anesthesia. At Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, chronic problems had eaten away at morale. "We wanted…
CMS anesthesia rules are stiffened
A guest column on regulatory standards. In mid-December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an 18-page Survey and Certification memorandum that clarifies and adds new requirements and interpretive guidelines for anesthesia services in Medicare-certified hospitals. Given the Joint Commission's requirement to mirror CMS regulation, we should anticipate…
CMS: What are surveyors looking for?
When surveyors from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) arrived at Robinwood Surgery Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, at 2 pm one day last summer, the leaders were ready. "The surveyors were very thorough. You won't pass this if you don't operate as a quality facility and follow all…
Keeping the staffing pipeline open with tighter OR education budgets
The tough economy has meant leaner budgets and fewer OR staff vacancies to fill. But OR leaders know they still face staffing challenges in the years ahead. Eventually, nurses who have been asking for more hours will start to retire. ORs need to keep the pipeline open for new candidates,…
Tweeting, posting, and Yammering: The role of social media in the OR
When a chef at a local café decided to donate a kidney to a work colleague on dialysis, staff at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit saw a public education opportunity. The public followed the donor and recipient surgery on Twitter, and local media covered the event. "It was a good…
Is urinary catheter really necessary?
Indwelling urinary catheters are routinely inserted in surgical patients to reduce postoperative bladder dysfunction that can result from anesthesia, analgesia, and immobility. But the benefits are offset by the risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI) if the catheters are left in place for too long. Do you know how…
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- Podcast episode discusses the anesthesia provider shortage in ASCs
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