Can infrared sensors reliably measure OR traffic?
The incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) is estimated to exceed 290,000 cases per year, and costs can range from $11,874 to $34,670 for inpatient hospital services. Studies have demonstrated a link between SSI rates and airborne bacterial counts in the OR. Some facilities have used trained observers to monitor…
ASC reaps rewards of recycling and reprocessing
What began as an employee request to reduce waste and create a โgreenerโ workplace has resulted in an international award for TRIA Orthopedic Center, Bloomington, Minnesota. By conserving materials and energy, the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) not only reduced its environmental impact, but also saved money. The initiative started with…
Outpatient appendectomy feasible in safety net hospital
Editor's Note Outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy is safe in a public safety net hospital and results in shorter length of stay and decreased healthcare costs, this study finds. A total of 351 patients were enrolled in the study: 173 outpatients and 178 inpatient controls. Of the 173 outpatients, 113 were discharged…
Study: Checklist helps reduce postop mortality
Editor's Note A study of 14 South Carolina hospitals found the use of a 19-item surgical checklist developed by the World Health Organization resulted in a 22% decrease in postoperative mortality over 3 years, compared with hospitals not participating in the checklist program. In the 14 participating hospitals, mortality was…
Joint Commission seeking eCQM success stories
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced April 19 that it is seeking hospital success stories about electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) capture and submission to share with other accredited hospitals via the new 2017 Pioneers in Quality: Proven Practices Collection. Hospitals whose submissions are selected also will be recognized as…
Using adverse event-free admissions as patient safety indicator
Editor's Note Adverse event-free admissions provide a patient-centered indicator that aligns directly with patient safety, this study finds. Using Medicare data from 2009 to 2011, researchers found that 64% of 24 million admissions had no adverse events. Multiple events were recorded in 22.7%, and 15% of these had more than…
Meta-analysis ranks efficacy of pain management modalities for total knee
Editor's Note The combination of femoral and sciatic nerve blocks is the overall best approach to pain management after total knee arthroplasty, finds this meta-analysis. The best five modalities for pain at rest were: femoral/obturator, femoral/sciatic/obturator, lumbar plexus/sciatic, femoral/sciatic, and fascia iliaca compartment blocks. For reducing opioid consumption, the best…
Joint Commission: Michigan hospital, home care earn first Medication Compounding Certification
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on April 12 that Genesys Regional Medical Center, Grand Blanc, Michigan, and Home IV Care, Inc, Madison Heights, Michigan, are the first organizations to receive its new Medication Compounding Certification. The certification is based on standards from the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) to help…
Study: Incidence of new postop persistent opioid use
Editor's Note New persistent postoperative opioid use is common and does not differ between minor and major procedures, but, instead, it is associated with behavioral and pain disorders, this study finds. Of 36,177 elective surgery patients assessed, about 6% filled opioid drug prescriptions between 90 and 180 days after the…
Joint Commission: Top 10 Challenging Standards for ambulatory care and office based surgery organizations
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on April 13 unveiled its Top 10 Challenging Standards for Ambulatory Health Care and Office-Based Surgery accredited organizations in 2016. Leading the top 10 are: IC.02.02.01: The organization reduces the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices, and supplies. HR.02.01.03: The organization grants initial,…