An occasional column on accreditation expectations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 14, 2011, issued a Survey and Certification Memorandum revising the interpretive guidelines for anesthesia services. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has been announcing the success of its dialog with CMS and has identified…
Proposed revisions to AORN recommended practices (RPs) on surgical attire and prevention of unplanned retained items (formerly counts) generated lively discussion at the AORN Congress in March in Denver—as they are likely to do in ORs across the country. The proposals were open for public comment on the AORN website,…
Flash sterilization is a fact of life in operating rooms—an item is dropped during a case, a surgeon brings a special instrument that needs to be sterilized, and so on. Professional organizations recommend keeping flash sterilization to a minimum. If it must be done, it must be done properly. The…