Intriguing new research cites medical errors as the third leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 said the top three causes of death were heart disease (611,105 deaths), cancer (584,881), and chronic respiratory disease (149,205).…

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Affordable, reliable care for adult and pediatric patients alike is the hallmark of the perioperative surgical home (PSH), as demonstrated by two organizations that are using PSH programs: a community health system and a children’s hospital. Leaders from both organizations shared their PSH journeys with OR Manager. Lower costs, shorter…

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Type 1 natural rubber latex allergic reactions are avoidable in the OR. Typically, surgical gloves are the last products remaining in the OR that contain natural rubber latex (NRL). Higher-cost, clinically acceptable synthetic latex surgical gloves are readily available. However, OR leaders can encounter significant resistance from hospital administrators when…

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Editor's Note Common measures used to rate hospital safety, such as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Indicators and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital-acquired Conditions, do not accurately capture the quality of care provided, this study finds. Only one measure out of…

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Editor's Note In a new study, military surgeons are proposing a new education and training paradigm that will benefit them and their patients in both military and civilian practice environments, the American College of Surgeons reports. Military surgeons face a unique challenge in that they serve as a “jack-of-all trades”…

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Editor's Note An Independent Security Evaluators study of 12 hospitals found that all had vulnerabilites that could lead to patient deaths or harm, according to a May 9 report from WUSA 9. During the study, cybersecurity experts were able to remotely control respirators and patient monitors, trigger false alarms, and…

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Editor's Note This study from Johns Hopkins found a wide variation in hospital price markups for major cardiothroracic and gastrointestinal surgical procedures in the US. Nearly a quarter of the 3,498 hospitals analyzed charged four times more than the actual cost of hospitalization for the procedures. Perioperative morbidity was greater…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dropped its recall of approximately 2,800 Custom Ultrasonics’ System 83 Plus automated endoscope reprocessors. This action comes despite the FDA's finding last year that the recall was “necessary to protect public health,” the May 6 Kaiser Health News reports. The FDA…

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Editor's Note The use of moderate sedation leads to better outcomes than general anesthesia for patients having transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), finds a study presented May 6 at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. Of 10,997 patients included in the study, 1,737 received…

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Editor's Note An algorithm that uses vehicle telemetry measurements can improve the guidance of motor vehicle victims to the most appropriate place for care, this study finds. The algorithm is a computer-based program that collects information, such as occupants’ use of seatbelts, airbag deployment, vehicle speed, and point of impact.…

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