Success Stories
Stem cell subset shows promise for preventing amputation
Editor's Note Researchers have discovered a new way to prompt blood vessel growth and prevent amputations in diseases such as diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. Findings were published December 19 in Cell Reports Medicine. The study consisted of an in-depth examination of two patients involved in a clinical trial who…
Taking a hands-on approach: A day in the OR manager role
Kim Rosencrans, RN, BSN, has worked as a surgical nurse in a number of successively more senior roles over the past 20 plus years—and she has retained a hands-on approach, even as an OR manager in the Surgery Department at Trinity Health in North Dakota, one of the nation’s largest…
Award winners stress collaboration, flexibility, asking for help
Emerging from the thick of the pandemic has been tough for OR managers and clinicians, between rampant healthcare industry burnout and other challenges. Yet the winners of this year’s OR Manager leadership awards, presented at the OR Manager Conference, are proving that the right combination of hard work, empathy, and…
AI tool determines postoperative mortality risk
Editor's Note A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by researchers at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai could help doctors better understand which patients are at greatest risk of dying following surgery, according to a December 15 report in Newswise. Based on findings originally published in the Lancet Digital…
Postoperative opioid prescriptions falling, but more improvement needed
Editor's Note A new study finds that while opioid prescriptions for postoperative pain relief have continued to decline, that downward trend has slowed since 2020, indicating the need for continued work to right-size opioid prescriptions for surgery patients. The findings were published by JAMA Network on December 7. Researchers looking…
Balanced IV solutions may benefit critically ill patients
Editor's Note Using balanced solutions in intravenous fluid (IV) therapy instead of saline can reduce the risk of death in critically ill patients in intensive care by 4%. These findings were published by The Lancet Respiratory Medicine on November 30. Patients in intensive care typically receive IV fluids, which can…
Stronger quads shown to reduce need for knee replacement surgery
Editor's Note Stronger thigh muscles could help patients to avoid knee replacement surgery, HealthLine November 27 reports. Preliminary research findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Osteoarthritis is caused by age-related wear and tear and often occurs in those over 50. According to…
Kaiser Permanente workers agree to new labor contract post-strike
Editor's Note Kaiser Permanente union workers have agreed to a new 4-year contract that includes 21% raises along with new minimum wages and provisions to improve staffing shortages, Chief Healthcare Executive November 10 reports. In October of this year, more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers, including nurses and technicians,…
Fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine saved lives of rheumatic disease patients
Editor's Note Receiving a fourth dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine recommended for patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, was found to have saved lives and reduced hospitalizations among that patient population. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology on November 15. The researchers used…
New surgical implant allows Parkinson’s patient to walk again
Editor's Note A patient with Parkinson’s disease was able to walk normally again thanks to a surgical implant of an experimental spinal cord neuroprosthesis. The findings were published in the journal Nature on November 6 under the article title, "A spinal cord neuroprosthesis for locomotor deficits due to Parkinson’s disease." …
Free Daily News
- Legislation proposes to halt Medicare physician payment cuts
- Cigna ties executive pay to patient experience
- Proposed tax credit aims to bolster nurse preceptor ranks
- Study links financial conflicts of interest to favorable robotic bariatric surgery research
- Hospitals double down on ambulatory care expansion with major investments
- Study: Post-laparotomy incisional negative pressure wound therapy fails to reduce infection risk
- FDA announces multiple Class 1 recalls
- Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
- Study: Prehabilitation reduces surgical complications, speeds recovery
- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money