Editor's Note In this study, discontinuity in nursing care was high and negatively impacted patient outcomes. The analysis of 3,892 medical-surgical inpatients found that discontinuity of nursing care declined from nearly 100% in the first 24 hours, to 70% at 36 hours, and to 50% by the 10th postadmission day.…

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Editor's Note Managing appendicitis with antibiotics on an outpatient basis shows promise as a safe, effective, lower-cost alternative to surgery, this study finds. Of 30 patients involved in the trial, 15 were randomized to antibiotics and 14 to appendectomy. A total of 14 patients in the antibiotic group were discharged from…

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Editor's Note In this study, an automated harm trigger system developed by the Adventist Health System Patient Safety Organization (Altamonte Springs, Florida) enabled the identification of patients who may have been harmed or at risk for harm. Nurse reviewers analyzed electronic health records of current patients with positive triggers to…

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Editor's Note Providing surgeons with individualized cost feedback and surgical supply costs was associated with significantly reduced surgical supply costs, without negatively affecting patient outcomes in this study. The study involved 63 surgeons in an intervention group and 186 surgeons in a control group. Surgeons in the intervention group received…

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Most OR leaders believe the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist can help prevent surgical errors and complications. But although many hospitals have formally adopted the WHO checklist, fewer ORs use it consistently. At Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, a nonprofit teaching facility south of Boston, we addressed this issue…

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Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, has had an annual average 3% growth in surgical volume since 2011 and is planning to add six ORs over the next 3 years. That’s a good position to be in. However, the ability of the organization to support continued surgical growth…

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Editor's Note There were about 3.1 million fewer hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) between 2010 and 2015, according to a newly released report from the Agency for healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Most of the decline was because of a: 42% reduction in adverse drug events 23% drop in pressure ulcers 15%…

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Editor's Note Healthcare managers’ top priority needs to focus on work environment design to improve preoperative throughput and OR first-case on time starts, this study finds. Two main barriers were identified−lack of equipment and availability of equipment in the preoperative area. Four vital sign monitors with wheels were purchased, as were…

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Editor's Note Selective nonoperative management of abdominal gunshot wounds is an acceptable and effective treatment for patients with less severe injuries that do not involve major organ damage or significant blood loss, this study finds. Of 922 patients with abdominal gunshot wounds analyzed, 707 had an immediate laparotomy and 215…

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Editor's Note In this study from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, major intraoperative adverse events were independently associated with a two-fold increase in readmissions. Of 9,274 surgical procedures analyzed, 921 resulted in readmission. Of these, 183 had confirmed intraoperative adverse events, 73 of which were major events. Procedures with major…

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