Editor's Note In this study, a software app that tracks perioperative controlled substance use and is integrated into the electronic health and pharmacy records and database systems was associated with a decrease in management errors. This analysis includes data on missing controlled substance medications, controlled substance kits, and witness return…

Read More

Editor's Note Even minor surgical procedures are associated with high risks for mortality in patients who are frail, finds this study. In this retrospective analysis of 432,828 patients in the Veterans Administration Surgical Quality Improvement Program, frailty was associated with increased 30-, 90-, and 180-day mortality across all levels of…

Read More

A strong labor and delivery (L&D) department is a key driver of hospital success. L&D not only contributes significantly to hospital profitability, it plays an important role in establishing and cementing patient loyalty. And as hospitals increasingly take responsibility for community health, an effective birth program can make a measurable…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on November 7 identified the recall by Zimmer Biomet of its ROSA Brain 3.0 Robotic Surgery System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of a software issue that incorrectly positions the robotic arm. The company has received five…

Read More

Editor's Note In this multicenter study, a global program based on the application of ergonomics in the OR and specific physical exercises reduced work-related musculoskeletal disorders among surgeons. A total of 141 surgeons were randomized to either the preventive program (PP) group (65 surgeons) or the no preventive program (NPP)…

Read More

Editor's Note Infection after surgery during postoperative days 0 to 30 is significantly associated with long-term infection and mortality, this study finds. In this analysis of 659,486 patients from the Veterans Health Administration, 3.6% had a 30-day infection, 6.6% had a long-term infection, and 3.8% died during follow-up. At any…

Read More

Editor's Note In this study, a new machine learning Complexity Score algorithm outperformed three commonly used risk scores in predicting postoperative morbidity, 30-day readmission, 90-day readmission, and postoperative surper-use. Study patients underwent colectomy, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass grafting, total hip or knee replacement, or lung resection. The…

Read More

Editor's Note Incorporating medical scribes into surgical practices to reduce time surgeons spend on patient documentation and managing electronic health records increases the number of patients seen by surgeons and residents in outpatient clinics, finds this study presented October 29 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019 in…

Read More

Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) Surgical Risk Calculator accurately predicted four quality-of-life outcomes that transcend traditional measures of successful surgery and now reflects the expected effects of surgery on an older patient’s ability to function independently, finds this study presented October…

Read More

Editor's Note Surgeons can better understand the effect of a patient's postoperative physical activity on their recovery by capturing passively-collected accelerometer data from their patients’ smartphones, finds this study presented October 28 at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019 in San Francisco. Patients enrolled in the study downloaded…

Read More