STOP-Bang screening associated with risk of postop complications in OSA patients
Editor's Note This meta-analysis found that patients at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as determined by preoperative STOP-Bang screening, had a higher risk of postoperative adverse events and longer length of hospital stay, compared with lower risk-OSA patients. The analysis included 10 studies with 23,609 patients (7,877 high-risk…
Patient falls from OR, procedure tables during anesthesia care
Editor's Note In this analysis of patient falls from OR and procedure tables during anesthesia care, researchers queried two independent closed claims databases. They identified 21 claims (1.2% of cases) in the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Closed Claims Project and 0.07% of cases in the secure records of a…
Perception of OR safety of surgical practice linked to postop mortality
Editor's Note The perception of safety of surgical practice among OR personnel was associated with hospital level 30-day postoperative patient mortality rates in this study. As part of the Safe Surgery 2015: South Carolina initiative, a baseline survey measuring perception of safety of surgical practice among OR personnel was completed.…
Study: Concurrent surgeries not linked to adverse outcomes
Editor's Note In this study using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP), concurrent surgical procedures were not found to increase the risk for adverse outcomes. The analysis included 1,430 surgeons from 390 hospitals who performed 12,010 concurrent surgical procedures from 2014 to…
Long-term opioid use rarely starts with surgery
Editor's Note The initial event associated with exposure to prescription opioids is often thought to be an injury or surgical procedure, but this study finds that opioid use rarely starts with surgical procedures. Of 117,118 patients with sustained prescription opioid use who were analyzed, just 800 (0.7%) received their initial…
Public expects physicians, nurses to protect them during active shooting events
Editor's Note Results of a new national survey by the Hartford Consensus about views of the public and healthcare professionals on active shooter events in hospitals show that: 61% of the public and 62% of professionals believe physicians and nurses have a special duty to protect patients during an active…
FDA: Vital Rx, dba Atlantic Pharmacy and Compounding recall all lots of compounded injectable drugs
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 18 announced the recall by Vital Rx, dba Atlantic Pharmacy and Compounding (Pompano Beach, Florida) of all lots of compounded injectable medications because of sterility assurance. During a recent FDA inspection, investigators observed unsanitary conditions, including poor sterile production practices.…
OR efficiency, staff satisfaction rise with TeamSTEPPS
Perioperative services that implement the TeamSTEPPS program—Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety—can see a range of benefits such as a better reporting culture, improved operational efficiency, and increased staff satisfaction, suggest emerging data presented in recent webinars and at a national conference. TeamSTEPPS was jointly developed…
Mobile devices: A menace to propriety and patient privacy
Imagine this scenario in your ambulatory surgery center (ASC): A husband and wife in their early 80s arrive for the husband’s knee replacement surgery. His wife will drive him home after surgery, and their daughter will arrive from out of state the next day to help at home while he…
VA notifies 526 patients at risk from improperly cleaned scopes
Editor's Note The Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Buffalo, New York, is notifying 526 patients that they may be at risk of infection from improperly cleaned endoscopes, the August 16 Buffalo News reports. A recent hospital review of endoscope disinfection processes found that steps in the manufacturer’s instructions may not…
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