The interactive hybrid OR, which debuted at the annual OR Manager Conference in 2014, grows larger and more comprehensive each year. For 2016, representatives from more than 10 different companies will be on hand to answer questions, and product demonstrations will create a dynamic learning environment. The 2015 town hall…
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 4 issued a Statement on Operating Room Attire for surgeons in and out of the OR. The statement  provides detailed guidelines on wearing the skullcap in a way that ensures patient safety, facilitates enforcement of the standard on wearing scubs…
Editor's Note The high proportion of emergent surgical cases that require vascular repair demonstrates the importance of having vascular surgeons immediately available at the hospital, this study finds. Of 299 patients in 12 surgical subspecialties that were included in the study, there were indications for vascular surgery assistance in 156…
Editor's Note On July 27, PinnacleHealth (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) announced the opening of its Surgery Optimization Clinic to support orthopedic patients at high risk for surgical complications. Other high-risk surgical patient service lines will be added by the end of the year. The aim of the program is to improve patient…
Editor's Note Surgical site infections (SSIs) after pediatric outpatient surgery occur at an appreciable rate and convey morbidity, this study finds. Of more than 15,000 pediatric outpatient surgical cases analyzed, the SSI rate was 2.9 per 1,000 procedures. Otolaryngology procedures had significantly lower SSI rates, compared with endocrine, integumentary, male…
Editor's Note Children who have surgery before primary school age are at increased risk of early developmental vulnerability, but the difference between exposed and unexposed children is small, finds this study. The analysis included 28,366 children (age 5-6 years) who had surgery and 55,910 children who did not have surgery…
Editor's Note The number of new cases of men with metastatic prostate cancer in the US has increased 72% in the past decade, this study finds. The largest jump was in men aged 55 to 69 years (92% increase), the age group who benefits the most from prostate cancer screening…
It was shortly after 2 am on Sunday, June 12. Ambulances, trucks, and cars started arriving at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) loaded with shooting victims from a terrorist attack at the Pulse nightclub. Because ORMC was just a couple of blocks from the nightclub, first responders loaded multiple victims…
How do OR leaders enhance family members’ satisfaction with the communication they receive when their loved ones are in surgery? Thanks to advances in technology, many are turning to tools like mobile apps and text messaging. At Memorial Medical Center (MMC) in Springfield, Illinois, Lexanne Darwent, BSN, RN, helped implement…
Editor's Note A surgical comanagement hospitalist program reduced complications, length of stay, 30-day readmissions, number of consultants, and cost of care in this study. There was no significant changed in patient satisfaction and the average savings was $2,642 to $4,303 per patient. This retrospective study by researchers from Stanford University…