Tag: Performance Improvement

Off-label use of simethicone, lubricants, and tissue glue contributes to endoscope reprocessing failures

Editor's Note The off-label use of defoaming agents, lubricants, and tissue glue is common, and these insoluable substances are not removed during reprocessing, this study finds. Of 69 fully reprocessed endoscopes examined in four hospitals, microbial cultures were positive for 50% or more. The researchers, led by Cori Ofstead, MSPH,…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 23, 2019
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FDA considering additional regulatory actions to reduce duodenoscope risks

Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on April 16 announced it is considering additional regulatory actions, including consulting with federal health experts for guidance, to reduce the risks of contamination and infections associated with duodenoscopes. The FDA is also working with manufacturers of disposable duodenoscopes that would make reprocessing…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 23, 2019
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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…

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By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
April 22, 2019
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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…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
April 22, 2019
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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…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
April 22, 2019
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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,…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
April 22, 2019
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New technology and workflow lead to surgical volume growth

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) in Sarasota, Florida, is a Level 2 trauma center with 839 beds and more than 900 physicians. The 430 members of the surgical staff perform more than 24,300 inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in the 34 operating suites each year. With this level of…

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By: OR Manager
April 22, 2019
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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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By: Judy Mathias
April 18, 2019
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AI detects prostate cancer as well as experienced radiologists

Editor's Note A new artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine improved the ability to diagnose prostate cancer in this study. The system, called “FocalNet,” helps identify and predict the aggressiveness of the disease by evaluating MRI scans. Results showed that FocalNet…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 17, 2019
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New care pathway reduces delirium, readmissions for frail elderly trauma patients

Editor's Note A new interdisciplinary care protocol for frail elderly trauma patients significantly decreased delirium and 30-day readmission risk in this study. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, compared the care of 125 patients who were treated before the pathway was implemented with 144 patients after the pathway was…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 11, 2019
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