Influence of age, weight on oxygenation impairment during anesthesia
Editor's Note Oxygenation was impaired by anesthesia more often in patients with greater age or body mass index, this study finds. This retrospective analysis of data from two hospitals found key contributors to impaired oxygenation were low ventilation/perfusion ratios because of airway narrowing and closure in the elderly and atelectasis-induced…
OR Manager Conference offers wealth of career resources for emerging OR leaders
Editor's Note With increasing numbers of nurse leaders approaching retirement, succession planning is a chief area of concern. To help bridge any potential leadership gap, the annual OR Manager Conference gears many of its sessions to new nurse managers with little to no management experience. Conference organizers have engaged veteran…
Study: EHR data limited in capture of patient outcomes, risk factors needed for risk adjustment
Editor's Note Retooling paper-based measures to electronic format for reporting performance measures can help reduce hospitalsโ reporting burden. However, in this study by Joint Commission and State University of New York researchers, a simplified risk model using electronic health record (EHR) elements could not capture most risk factors in the…
CMS finalizes coverage policy for TAVR
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 21 issued final updates to its national coverage policy for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). The update provides more flexibility in how centers meet volume requirements for performing TAVR, while emphasizing the importance of the heart team for…
Effect of fewer postop opioids prescribed, preop education on opioid consumption
Editor's Note Prescribing fewer opioid tablets postoperatively was associated with lower opioid consumption after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and preoperative education was associated with lower duration and quantity of postoperative opioid use, this study finds. Of 264 patients analyzed, 109 received 50 tablets, 77 received 30 tablets and no education,…
FDA: Class I recall of Hudson RCI Sheridan, Sheridan Endotracheal Tubes
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on June 21 identified the recall by Teleflex Medical (Wayne, Pennsylvania) of the Hudson RCI Sheridan and Sheridan Endotracheal Tubes as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of the Sheridan connector disconnecting from the breathing circuit.…
Study: Value found in physician-patient outcome assessment process
Editor's Note A new scoring system reveals a strong agreement between patient-reported and physician-reported outcomes after surgery, the Mayo Clinic reports. The study enrolled 100 patients who had elbow or shoulder surgery. The average time between surgery and follow-up was 31 months. In the categorical ratings, patients and physicians agreed…
CMS selects ECRI Institute for NQIIC designation
Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on June 20 announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had awarded it with the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC) designation. With this designation and partnering with other quality improvement contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quanity (IDIQ)…
Effect of visible-light CED on microbial contamination, SSIs
Editor's Note A visible-light continuous environmental disinfection (CED) system, used with manual cleaning, resulted in a significant reduction in microbial surface contamination and surgical site infections (SSIs) in an orthopedic OR, in this study. Samples were taken from 25 surfaces within two contiguous ORs sharing an air supply after manual…
What if healthcare AI is the next asbestos?
Editor's Note At a precision medicine conference in Boston on June 18, Harvard Law School professor Jonathan Zittrain likened the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare to asbestos, saying: โitโs all over the place, even though at no point did you explicitly install it, and it has possibly some…