Study: COVID-19 boosts risk of postoperative complications, longer hospital stays for emergency surgery patients
Editor's Note A recent study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in India showed concurrent COVID-19 infection on patients undergoing emergency surgery resulted in notably longer hospital stays and higher rates of postoperative complications. Published September 8 in Cureus, the retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 48 COVID-19-positive patients and…
Bleeding risk should dictate strategy for managing patients on direct oral anticoagulants
Editor's Note Clinicians managing surgical patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) should adopt a different approach depending on the procedure, according to research published August 12 in JAMA Network. Used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism, DOACs must be managed effectively to minimize risks of bleeding, researchers…
Lack of primary care physicians tied to emergency surgeries
Editor's Note Research shows that Americans who live in areas with a limited number of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are at a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications. The findings were published March 4 in the journal Health Affairs. For the study, researchers looked at Medicare patient…
Researchers test alternative approach to ranking US heart transplant candidates
Editor's Note The current method for identifying heart transplant candidates with the most urgent need might not be the best one. In a study published February 13 in Jama Network, a candidate risk score incorporating the latest clinical, laboratory, and hemodynamic data out-performed the current treatment-based categorical allocation system. …
Shift to outpatient, emergency services keeps rural hospitals afloat
Editor's Note More CEOs are considering rural emergency hospital (REH) designation, according to a February 12 article in Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. In January 2023, REH was established as a new Medicare provider type to enable struggling rural hospitals to continue operating with outpatient and emergency services only, instead of…
Robot could clear stroke-related blockage faster than traditional methods
Editor's Note A magnetically operated robot developed by the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab in Zurich along with several hospitals in Switzerland could be used to treat people in the critical moments following a stroke to remove blockage and resume blood flow. The findings were published February 14 in the journal Science…
Follow-up primary care visits reduce readmission rates for EGS patients
Editor's Note A recent study of Medicare beneficiaries found that patients hospitalized for an emergency general surgery (EGS) condition who had primary care follow-up within 30 days of discharge had much lower readmission rates. The investigative findings were published on September 27 in JAMA Surgery. Some highlights include: Patients who…
Vanderbilt team develops new protocol for emergency resternotomy
Editor's Note A multidisciplinary cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) team at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, recently conducted a bedside surgery simulation of a resternotomy to develop a new protocol for the lifesaving procedure, according to the June 15 VUMC Reporter. When a cardiac surgical patient starts bleeding postoperatively…
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