Reducing emergency surgical procedures could save $1 billion
New research shows that even a modest 10% reduction in the proportion of emergency surgical procedures for three common conditions could save nearly $1 billion over 10 years. The study also showed significantly lower rates of mortality and better outcomes among patients who had these procedures on an elective basis.…
Former OR Manager of the Year directs team at Nebraska biocontainment unit
Two OR nurses are part of a diverse team that cares for Ebola patients at the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit in Omaha, and the team’s nursing director is Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, RN, a former OR Manager of the Year. “I chose OR nurses to be on the team because…
Preparing for disaster: Boston hospitals know the drill but keep practicing
In the days after the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, many praised the way the city’s hospitals responded to the attack. But clinicians in those hospitals aren’t resting on their laurels. They have examined what worked well (and not so well) after the event and continue to plan…
Surgeons call for community response to mass casualty incidents
Shooting incidents are occurring throughout the US with increasing and alarming frequency. Among those in late 2013: the Washington, DC, Navy Yard on September 16—12 dead, 3 injured before the gunman took his own life; the Sparks, Nevada middle school on October 21—1 dead, 2 wounded before the student wielding…
Trauma center's mortality rate drops dramatically with use of new protocols
Trauma events occur every 5 minutes in the United States, and 30% of trauma patients die within 120 minutes of the event because of major organ injuries that lead to heavy blood loss. Better outcomes are achieved when care is initiated within 60 minutes, a time frame commonly referred to…
ERs, ORs respond for multiple victims of Colorado shootings
A call came over the radio at 12:30 am on July 20, 2012. There had been a shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, with the potential for multiple victims. Emergency department staff at the nearby University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) listened to the call. They didn’t anticipate more…
Surgery by flashlight as Joplin team operates through tornado
It started out as a typical Sunday morning on call—a 7:30 am C section, home for a nap, then a call-back at 3 pm for orthopedic cases. But that Sunday, May 22, 2011, turned out to be anything but typical for Staci Perry, a surgical technologist at St John's Regional…
Nation's emergency care a ticking time bomb'
Economic woes and a failing health care system mean more people than ever are relying on emergency care. But emergency physicians give the country a C- for its support for emergency resources. "Emergency medical care is the most overlooked part of our health care system, and the one everyone depends…
Planning for the worst: OR director shares lessons from the Gulf Coast
How would your OR manage if the hospital was on emergency power for 3 days, there was no running water, and supplies were dwindling? You didn't know when help would arrive. Still, sick and injured patients kept arriving, and families were flocking to your doors. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005,…
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