FDA announces new efforts to protect patients from risks associated with surgical staplers, implantable staples
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on April 23 announced new steps it will be taking to help reduce risks associated with surgical staplers for internal use and implantable staples. The proposed steps include: Reclassifying surgical staplers from Class I (low risk) to Class II (moderate risk). Issuing guidance to…
FDA orders manufacturers to stop selling gynecologic mesh
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 16 announced that it had ordered manufacturers of surgical mesh products indicated for transvaginal repair of pelvic organ prolapse to stop selling and distributing their products in the US, immediately. The FDA has determined that manufacturers, Boston Scientific and Coloplast,…
How will artificial intelligence impact surgical patient care? Part 1
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be coming to your OR sooner than you think. AI is already being used to identify areas needing quality improvement by analyzing surgical workflow, communication patterns, and errors that went unnoticed during a procedure. OR leaders need to understand AI and participate in its development and…
Imagining the unimaginable: Preparing for mass casualty
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission require healthcare facilities to have policies and protocols in place for emergency situations and to hold regular practice drills. With natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, or fires, often there is at least some warning—some amount of time to…
Editorial
Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to pop up in headlines nearly every day. With applications ranging from individual nutritional guidance to prediction of premature death, ever-evolving computer-based algorithms present intriguing possibilities for the future of healthcare. Depending on how proactive your facility is and how rich in resources, you may already…
Conference keynote puts compassion at the heart of patient care
Compassion fatigue can come into play at any stage of nurses’ careers. Nursing is growing at a faster rate than other occupations, but it carries a high risk for burnout. Loss of job satisfaction, job-related distress, or perhaps exposure to too many traumatic events can threaten the ability of staff…
Expect the unexpected: How we recovered operations after Hurricane Harvey
Whatever your facility’s disaster management plan, it needs continual refinement to account for the differences between imagined and real scenarios. Hurricane Harvey, which hit Houston hard on Saturday, August 26, 2017, is a case in point. The storm brought more than 60 inches of rain within a couple of days,…
Vigilance best protects ASCs from workplace violence
Violence is a fact of life in healthcare settings. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that, on average, healthcare workers are four times as likely to be victimized as those in private industry. Most types of violent incidents involve patients or visitors acting out against staff, accounting for 93%…
FDA continues efforts to assess duodenoscope contamination risk
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 12 announced that it is taking steps to implement additional regulatory actions, including consulting with federal health experts, on how to reduce the risks of contamination and infections linked to duodenoscopes. The agency is also collaborating with manufacturers of disposable…
Operative volume is essential quality indicator for performing emergent general surgery in elderly
Editor's Note In this study, survival rates for geriatric patients were significantly improved when emergency general surgery procedures were performed at hospitals with higher operative volumes. Of 41,860 surgical procedures evaluated at 200 hospitals, mortality decreased as hospital emergency operative volume increased. For every standardized increase in volume, reduction in…
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