Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced October 10 that accredited, deemed-status ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will no longer be required to collect data on medical necessity and appropriateness of procedures (PI.01.01.01, EP 21), effective July 1, 2019. The Joint Commission developed the performance improvement (PI) standard to align with the…
We have all heard the safety instructions prior to takeoff: Put on your own oxygen mask first, before helping others around you. However, as nurses and caregivers, we are often so busy helping those around us that we don’t even think about applying our own “oxygen mask,” or what the…
Editor's Note In this study, the composition of the anesthesia care team (anesthesiologist plus nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist assistant) was not associated with any significant differences in mortality, length of stay, or inpatient spending. Of 443,098 Medicare beneficiaries who had inpatient surgery between 2004 and 2011, the adjusted mortality for…
Editor's Note The Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (SASM) has issued a new guideline on Intraoperative Management of Adult Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Specific aims of the guideline are to: evaluate considerations of difficult airway management in patients with OSA assess the impact of anesthesia-related drugs and…
Editor's Note This study from the University of Texas El Paso School of Nursing finds that students who were exposed to a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (eg, abuse, neglect, family dysfunction) had higher levels of burnout and depression. A survey of 211 students enrolled in the first semester…
Editor's Note Rebecca Wiseman, PhD, RN, associate professor and chair of the University of Maryland School of Nursing at the Universities at Shady Grove, has been awarded a grant to establish the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), according to an October 8 news release.…
Editor's Note In patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, the risk of 30-day morbidity and mortality was similar for those who had blood testing shortly before surgery and those whose testing was done up to 2 months before surgery, this study finds. Of 235,010 patients…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 3 announced that key updates are now available for its 2019 ORYX performance measurement program reporting requirements. The Joint Commission continues to align its performance measure reporting requirements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which published its 2019 Inpatient Prospective Payment…
In this study, researchers project that the burden of complex surgical site infections (SSIs) after primary and revision total hips and knees will increase 14% from 2020 through 2030 because of an aging population. Editor's Note In this study, researchers project that the burden of complex surgical site infections (SSIs)…
Editor's Note Massachusetts voters in November will determine whether mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios will go into effect January 1, 2019, the October 3 SFGate reports. Implementing the ratios could cost providers $676 million to $949 million per year, according to an analysis by an independent state agency. A union representing…