Tag: Guidelines

New guideline for geriatric surgical patients released

Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons and American Geriatrics Society on January 4 released a new best practice guideline for optimal care of older adults before, during, and after surgery. The new guideline, “Optimal Perioperative Care of the Geriatric Patient,” addresses the care of surgical patients 65 years old…

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By: Judy Mathias
January 5, 2016
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New guidelines recommend use of arterial grafts for coronary bypass

Editor's Note New clinical practice guidelines from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons recommend the use of arteries from the chest and forearm rather than using veins from the leg for coronary artery bypass grafting. The left internal thoracic artery is considered the gold standard conduit for coronary bypass and has…

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By: Judy Mathias
December 8, 2015
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Appropriate use criteria reduces nonacute, inappropriate PCIs

Editor's Note Since publication of the Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Revascularization in 2009, the number of nonacute percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) has declined significantly (89,704 vs 59,375). The proportion of nonacute PCIs classified as inappropriate has also declined (26.2% vs 13.3%), although hospital-level variation persists. These findings indicate that…

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By: Judy Mathias
November 10, 2015
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HVAC task force issues interim guide for OR, SPD

Editor's Note A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning task force on September 28 issued interim guidance to help health care facilities maintain appropriate temperature and humidity in ORs and sterile processing departments, AHA News reports. The interim guide was developed as the task force is working to achieve consensus on…

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By: OR Manager
September 29, 2015
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Effect of professional guidelines on preop testing

Editor's Note The release of 2002 guidelines on preoperative testing by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association was associated with a reduction in routine ECG testing but not of x-rays, hematocrit, urinalysis, or cardiac stress testing, in this study. Because routine preoperative testing…

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By: OR Manager
August 10, 2015
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Penalties based on number of VTEs unfairly imposed

Editor's Note After a review of 128 case histories, Johns Hopkins researchers find that financial penalties imposed by federal and state agencies on Maryland hospitals based solely on the total number of patients who suffer venous thromboemboli (VTEs) fail to account for those that occur despite the consistent and proper…

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By: OR Manager
July 29, 2015
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SHEA, IDSA update strategies to prevent SSIs

Editor's Note The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of  America have updated the 2008 Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute care Hospitals. The evidence-based recommendations include 15 strategies for SSI prevention and a special section on implementation that emphasizes a team-based approach…

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By: OR Manager
July 13, 2015
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FDA issues draft guidance on requirements for surgical gowns

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration has issued a draft guidance to describe its premarket regulatory requirements and performance testing needed to support liquid barrier claims for gowns used in health care settings. In the past, a number of terms have been used to refer to gowns intended for…

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By: OR Manager
July 10, 2015
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Surgical resident work hours reform does not improve patient safety

Editor's Note Work-hour restrictions for surgical resident, revised nationally 4 years ago to protect patients against fatigue-related errors, have not had the desired effect of lowering postoperative complication rates, according to this new study. Researchers from the American College of Surgeons found no significant difference in surgical outcomes between 1…

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By: OR Manager
July 8, 2015
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Onus on OR managers to scope out competency of endoscopy staff

Recent highly publicized outbreaks of infections linked to improper reprocessing of flexible endoscopes have raised concerns about infection prevention in gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures. Because of the headlines, legislatures are hearing from their constituents that they are fearful of being exposed to infections, and legislatures are getting involved. The Society of…

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By: OR Manager
July 15, 2014
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