Calming words as effective as preop medication to relax patients
Editor's Note A few calming words from an anesthesiologist are as effective as medication in relaxing patients before anesthesia and surgery, finds research presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting. Researchers compared conversational hypnosis (ie, talking quietly and positively and focusing the patient’s attention on something other than the upcoming…
Study questions use of two common preop tests
Editor's Note A significant percentage of two common preoperative tests—prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)—are unnecessary, this study finds. PT was ordered unnecessarily in 94.3% of patients and aPPT in 99.9% of patients. PT evaluates the patient’s blood clotting ability, and aPPT determines if heparin therapy is…
Standardized approach for preop chlorhexidine showers reduces SSIs
Editor's Note A standardized process of dose, duration, and timing for preoperative showers with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate maximizes the benefit of the shower as an effective risk reduction strategy for surgical site infections, finds this study. The process includes: 118 mL of aqueous 4% chlorhexidine gluconate per shower a minimum…
Effect of professional guidelines on preop testing
Editor's Note The release of 2002 guidelines on preoperative testing by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association was associated with a reduction in routine ECG testing but not of x-rays, hematocrit, urinalysis, or cardiac stress testing, in this study. Because routine preoperative testing…
Integrate systems to sustain gains from process change
Many organizations have reaped the benefits of adopting Lean concepts, such as greater workflow efficiency, staff engagement, and cost savings. After initial improvements are made, however, it can be hard to sustain the process changes over time. That was the case at Nemours A. I. duPont Hospital for Children in…
Researchers develop world's most sensitive test for superbugs
Editor's Note A diagnostic tool developed by researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, can detect the smallest traces of compounds that signal the presence of an infectious disease, such as C difficile, MRSA, hepatitis C, and other superbugs. The test has the best sensitivity ever reported for a detection system.…
The Effect of Adding Functional Classification to ASA Status for Predicting 30-Day Mortality
Our Take In this study, functional capacity to perform activities of daily living was an independent predictor of postoperative mortality within each ASA class, indicating that it should be incorporated into routine preoperative evaluations. The likelihood for mortality was significantly lower for patients who were functionally independent than for those…
OR staff reap rewards of paperless patient tracking system
Clearing a patient for surgery is no easy feat, and a completely paper-based workflow can be very inefficient. Switching to a paperless tracking system has cut labor and costs in the preanesthesia screening services (PASS) department at Sinai Hospital, LifeBridge Health, Baltimore, and nurse leaders there hope to integrate the…
Ebola surgical protocols enhance safety of patients and personnel
In the months since Ebola patients were first treated in US hospitals, much progress has been made in establishing protocols to protect patients and healthcare workers from harm. Though the number of Ebola patients in the US remains small compared with the thousands in African countries, the disease continues to…
Avera McKennan finds innovative strategies to address orthopedic pain management
Postsurgical pain scores are highly correlated with reports of overall patient satisfaction during hospital stays, according to a poster presented at the 2014 American Academy of Pain Medicine annual meeting. Dermot Maher, MD, and his colleagues from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles examined patient responses on HCAHPS (Hospital…
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- Personalized perioperative pain management reduces opioid use
- Study: Colibactin-producing gut bacteria fuel colorectal cancer surge
- Augmented reality gains FDA nod, 10k-case milestone in orthopedics, strides in outpatient surgery
- Smart patient selection anchors DISC’s high-acuity spine ASC model
- Postop opioid prescriptions following outpatient surgery see steep, sustained fall
- Study: Bariatric surgery offers cost, survival benefits for cirrhosis patients
- AI monitoring, remote surgery advance