Lack of shared mental model in cardiac surgical team members may contribute to errors
Editor's Note Cardiac surgical team members recognize distinct critical time points during cardiac surgery, but a high degree of variability exists between members as to the importance of these times, which suggests an absence of a shared mental model, this study finds. Cardiac team members from three institutions developed a…
Device filters out noise for ICU patients
Editor's Note Researchers in the departments of anesthesia and biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University have created a device that removes alarm sounds while preserving an ICU patientโs ability to hear human and environmental stimuli, notably speech. The in-ear device, which is worn by the patient, eliminates alarm sounds from the…
Joint Commission offers free VTE compendium of resources
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 21 announced its new, free venous thromboembolism (VTE) compendium of resources. The compendium was developed to help clinicians, healthcare educators, and other healthcare professionals provide reliable and up-to-date patient education materials for VTE and anticoagulation therapy. Joint Commission Online Weekly Newsletter
OR fires and surgical skin prep
Editor's Note In this ex vivo study, alcohol-based surgical skin preparations fueled OR fires in common clinical scenarios. No fires occurred with nonalcohol-based preparations. Alcohol-based preparations caused flash flames at 0 minutes in 22% and at 3 minutes in 10% of tests. Testing pooling of alcohol-based preparations, fires occurred in…
National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer accepting applications
Editor's Note Hospitals with rectal cancer programs may now earn accreditation from the new National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), the American College of Surgeons (ACS) announced on June 21. NAPRC is based on successful international models that have resulted in better outcomes and emphasize a multidisciplinary team approach…
FDA: Vascular Solutions recalls Venture Catheters
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 21 announced the recall by Vascular Solutions (Maple Grove, Minnesota) of its Venture Catheters. The recall was initiated because there is a risk of the catheter tip splitting or separating during use and entering the patientโs bloodstream. This can result…
Bundled Payments Bootcamp: June 20, 2017 Presentations
Thank you for attending the Bundled Payments Bootcamp in Nashville! Click below to download the presentations: How Bundled Payments Will Change the Reimbursement Landscape / How Payment Models May Change Under the New Administration Key Components of Medicare's Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Plan Building Multidisciplinary Collaboration Gathering the…
Analysis finds unplanned returns to the OR overestimated
Editor's Note In this single institution study, the most common reasons for unplanned return to the OR (uROR) were infection and hemorrhage. However, the researchers found that a large number of cases were incorrectly classified as uROR, when they were instead planned reoperations without adequate documentation. Using uROR as reported…
Joint Commission redesigns ESC form
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 21 a redesign of its Evidence of Standards Compliance (ESC) form. The form was redesigned to help organizations focus on describing the critical aspects of corrective actions they have taken to resolve Requirements for Improvement, and to help ensure sustainability of those…
FDA: Alvogen recalls seven lots of clindamycin
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 16 announced the recall by Alvogen/Hospira Inc, a Pfizer company, of seven lots of Clindamycin Injection USP ADD-Vantage Vials. The recall was initiated because microbial growth was detected during a routine simulation of the manufacturing process, which represents the potential…