SSI incidence, risk factors in total knees
Editor's Note In this 9-year prospective cohort study from Spain, researchers identified surgical site infection (SSI) risk factors that showed the necessity to strictly comply with wound decontamination and patient preparation protocols, reduce the length of surgical time, and identify patients requiring comprehensive monitoring. This analysis of 1,969 patients who…
CMS: New online tool compares cost differences for outpatient procedures
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 27 launched a new online tool that compares Medicare payments and co-payments for certain outpatient surgical procedures performed in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The “Procedure Price Lookup” tool will help Medicare patients consider potential cost differences when…
Study: 'Meaningful use' of EHRs linked to shorter LOS
Editor's Note Hospitals that successfully attested to "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs) experienced a shorter patient length of stay (LOS) in this study. This analysis of patient data from California categorized hospitals into one of three categories−partial adoption of EHRs, full adoption of EHRs, and meaningful assimilation of…
FDA: Class I recall of Zimmer Biomet spinal fusion, long bone stimulators
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on November 26 identified the recall by Zimmer Biomet (Warsaw, Indiana) of its Osteogen Implantable Bone Growth Stimulator, SpF PLUS-Mini Implantable Fusion Stimulator, and SpF-XL Implantable Spinal Fusion Stimulator as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the…
FDA plans big changes to 510(k) pathway
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 26 announced that it plans to modernize its 510(k) approval pathway by pushing device manufacturers to rely on predicate devices that are not older than 10 years. Under the existing pathway, manufacturers can pursue expedited approval for devices that are…
FDA: Fresenius Kabi recalls sodium chloride injection
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 20 announced the nationwide recall by Fresenius Kabi USA (Lake Zurich, Illinois) of 163 lots of sodium chloride injection, USP, 0.9%, 10 mL and 20 mL vials. The recall was initiated because the product insert incorrectly states that the vial…
Munro Scale assessment helps reduce HAPI rates
Each year, more than 2.5 million adults in the US develop pressure ulcers, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). These lesions bring pain, risk for serious infection, and increased healthcare utilization. Data on the costs of treatment vary, but some estimates range between $37,800 and $70,000…
New safety program helps hospitals adopt ERAS
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) led the list of newer patient care models in use at hospitals that employ respondents to the 2018 OR Manager Salary/Career Survey. A total of 42% of hospital-based OR leaders said ERAS had been or would soon be implemented in their facilities, down slightly from…
Room utilization rises with dynamic block scheduling
Inefficiencies in surgical case scheduling can lead to large revenue losses. When leaders at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC) in Spokane, Washington, realized poor room utilization was the cause of more than $1 million in annual overtime costs, they knew that better planning was needed. “For every 60 minutes…
Research backs changes to AORN's Guideline for Sterilization
AORN’s updated Guideline for Sterilization is based on a recent review of evidence in peer-reviewed journals and regulations from 2012 to 2017. In addition to guidance for sterilizing reusable medical devices to be used in perioperative and procedural settings, the updated guideline points to findings that substantiate current practices, and…
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