Criminalizing anesthesia errors has unintended consequences, experts warn
Editor's Note Treating unintended anesthesia errors as criminal acts could exacerbate workforce shortages, increase malpractice costs, and drive clinicians to defensive medicine, according to experts quoted in a January 15 report from Anesthesiology News. Instead, fostering a culture of safety and learning could more effectively reduce errors and improve patient…
Study: Perioperative pregabalin reduces risk of kidney decline compared to gabapentin
Editor's Note The first study to directly compare kidney-related adverse outcomes between perioperative use of gabapentin and pregabalin shows that the former drug carries a higher risk, Renal and Urology News reported January 21. Published in Frontiers in Medicine, the study involved a trial emulation of 1,280 propensity-matched surgical patients…
Mastering CMS regulations: How to ensure a finding-free Joint Commission survey
Takeaways • Requirements for improvement and condition level deficiency findings have been trending up in recent The Joint Commission surveys. • The scoring trends and OR hot spots focus on infection control, medication management, national patient safety goals, post-surgical electronic health record tracers, and transplant (tissue) safety. • Federal regulations,…
ASA recommendations target postoperative delirium in older patients
Editor's Note Efforts to reduce the risk of postoperative delirium in older patients should focus on preoperative evaluation, anesthesia choices, and medication management, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Designed specifically for treating adults aged 65 and older undergoing inpatient surgery, these new, evidence-based recommendations are presented in…
Hospital safety grades show progress in reducing medical errors, infections
Editor's Note During the past few years, US hospitals have improved significantly in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), adhering to hand hygiene best practices, and preventing medical errors, according to the fall 2024 Hospital Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit focused on patient safety. Released November 15, the rankings…
Global study dispels benefits of blood pressure management during non-cardiac surgery
Editor's Note A new global clinical trial indicates targeting higher blood pressure during non-cardiac surgeries is no better than current standard approach in preventing acute kidney injury, according to a November 5 report from London Health Sciences Centre. With 300 million non-cardiac surgeries performed worldwide every year, risk of kidney…
Study: Bariatric surgery outperforms GLP-1s in slowing CKD progression in patients with diabetes, obesity
Editor's Note Bariatric surgery significantly reduces the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity compared to those on GLP-1 diabetes medications, according to a study from Cleveland Clinic. Published in Annals of Surgery and detailed in a September 20 announcement from Cleveland Clinic,…
Statistical models aim to improve surgical patient pain management
Editor's Note Researchers at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed statistical models to improve how anesthesiologists manage unconscious pain, or nociception, during surgery, according to a September 23 report in News Medical. Derived from over 18,000 minutes of surgery data across 101 abdominal procedures, the models aim to…
AAAHC releases updated medication reconciliation toolkit to reduce errors in ambulatory care
Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) announced on August 21 the release of an updated version of its Medication Reconciliation Toolkit, designed to help ambulatory healthcare professionals minimize medication errors and improve patient outcomes. The toolkit emphasizes the importance of accurately documenting all medications including vitamins,…
Study: Nearly 10% of patients on prescription opioids develop dependency or disorder
Editor's Note Research reveals nearly 10% of patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers develop opioid dependency or opioid use disorder (OUD), Healio reported on August 13. Additionally, nearly 30% of patients exhibit signs and symptoms indicating potential OUD. Originally published in the journal Addiction, the data are from a systematic…
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- Study identifies potential non-surgical treatment for inguinal hernias
- Rural hospital closures remain a growing concern despite slight financial improvement
- Session: Hoisting the Sails—Winning Strategies for Growing Service Lines in an ASC
- Session: Riding the Wave—Considerations to Making Anesthesia Profitable in Today's Labor Market
- Session: Surfs Up—Rolling Out the OAS CAHPS Survey
- Montana legislators' prior authorization reform push mirrors national trends