Patient & Staff Safety
My Near Miss
May 29, 2013 9:25 am | by Danielle Ofri | Blogs | CommentsAn intracranial bleed? You couldn’t do much worse than miss an intracranial bleed. How had I let my craze to decrease my patient load overtake proper medical care? I had failed to check the head CT! I was appalled at myself, mortified by my negligence. I stumbled through the rest of the day, an acrid mix of shame and guilt churning inside me.
Survey: Most Physicians Need Multiple Sensors In Surgery
May 28, 2013 11:29 am | News | CommentsA survey of anesthesia educators and investigators at the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) found that existing pulse oximetry sensors have significant limitations that hamper their reliability. The survey also found that fingertip sensors can be problematic.
Should You Stop Blood Thinners Before Surgery?
May 28, 2013 11:12 am | News | CommentsPeople who have had a stroke often take blood thinners such as aspirin or warfarin to prevent another stroke. Blood thinners are also used to prevent a first stroke in people with atrial fibrillation, an irregular or fast heartbeat. Blood thinners can prevent blood clots from forming that can cause strokes. These drugs also can increase the risk of bleeding, which is especially a concern when someone is having a procedure or operation.
Safe Cord Floor Strip
May 28, 2013 10:31 am | by Flagship Surgical | Flagship Surgical, Llc | Product Releases | Comments(2013 ESP Award Nominee) Flagship Surgical's Safe Cord Floor Strip is a durable, disposable safety strip designed to cover cables and cords on the OR floors, thereby reducing the risk of staff tripping hazards and injuries. It has adhesive strips on the underside which secure the product to the floor, but will not leave any residue.
Allen Advance Table
May 28, 2013 10:09 am | by Allen Medical | Allen Medical Systems | Product Releases | Comments(2013 ESP Award Nominee) The Allen Advance table (from Allen Medical) is used for dedicated spine positioning where 360-degree radiolucency is required. It can be used in prone or supine positions with the ability to “flip” the patient intraoperatively. The Allen design addresses the safety concerns associated with pulling the wrong pins that can result in table collapse with patient.
Doctors Ill Prepared For Patients With Disabilities
May 28, 2013 9:22 am | by Pauline Chen, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsIt’s been nearly 23 years since the Americans With Disabilities Act, a federal law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, went into effect. Despite its unequivocal language, studies in recent years have revealed that disabled patients tend not only to be in poorer health, but also to receive inadequate preventive care and to experience worse outcomes.
OK To Discharge ICD Patients On Same Day
May 24, 2013 10:54 am | by Chris Kaiser | News | CommentsSame-day discharge for patients receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is safe, feasible, and cost-effective, a retrospective study found. There were no cardiac events, rehospitalizations, or procedure-related complications at 24 hours post-discharge for the 198 (79 percent) of 254 outpatients who had successful same-day discharge.
Intuitive Surgical Wins Jury Trial In Negligence Case
May 24, 2013 10:45 am | News | CommentsIntuitive Surgical prevailed in a civil lawsuit that accused it of negligence in its training of doctors using the company's surgical robot machines, a victory as it looks to counter criticisms that its da Vinci machines are unsafe and too costly. The suit, had sought $8.45 million in compensatory damages in connection to the death of Fred Taylor, who had his prostate gland removed with a da Vinci robot in 2008 and died four years later.
Transitional Care Programs Are Ripe For Innovation
May 24, 2013 9:36 am | by Michael Cetta, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsTransitional care programs are ripe for innovation for forward-thinking providers who are willing to do the difficult work of making these programs a success. For hospitals, even seemingly modest success, such as preventing a few dozen readmissions, can yield a financial benefit – and preventing more than that could save a hospital millions of dollars.
Johns Hopkins Rewrites Blood-Ordering Rules For Surgical Patients
May 22, 2013 1:02 pm | News | CommentsJohns Hopkins researchers have developed new guidelines — the first in more than 35 years — to govern the amount of blood ordered for surgical patients. The recommendations, based on a lengthy study of blood use at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH), can potentially save the medical center more than $200,000 a year and improve patient safety, researchers say.
Intuitive Robotic Surgery Case Goes To Jury
May 22, 2013 12:58 pm | News | CommentsLawyers for the estate of Fred Taylor seek $8.45 million in damages based on claims that Intuitive is mostly to blame for his injuries stemming from a 2008 robot-assisted removal of his prostate gland. Taylor and his family allege he suffered because of Intuitive’s inadequate training that was streamlined and compromised by the company’s push to sell its robots.
Surgery Offers Mixed Benefits For Kids' Sleep Apnea
May 22, 2013 12:55 pm | News | CommentsA new study has confirmed that removing the tonsils and adenoids of children with obstructive sleep apnea can reduce sleepiness and improve the quality of life, but putting off the surgery might not hurt either. The findings found that after seven months, surgery improved many gauges of everyday living.
The Pink Pad
May 22, 2013 12:28 pm | Product Releases | CommentsThe Pink Pad - Pigazzi Positioning System from Xodus Medical is designed to mold to the patient's body, providing stability and maintaining patient position throughout the procedure. Its for single patient use, and it decreases potential cross contamination with reusables.
The Traps Of Treating Pain
May 22, 2013 12:22 pm | by Abagail Zuger, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsDoctors hate pain. Let me count the ways. We hate it because we are (mostly) kindhearted and hate to see people suffer. We hate it because it is invisible, cannot be measured or monitored, and varies wildly and unpredictably from person to person. We hate it because it can drag us closer to the perilous zones of illegal practice than any other complaint.
Delayed Transfer To The ICU Increases Risk Of Death In Hospital Patients
May 21, 2013 10:33 am | News | CommentsDelayed transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) in hospitalized patients significantly increases the risk of dying in the hospital, according to a new study from researchers in Chicago. The study included 2,166 patients at an academic hospital who were transferred from medical-surgical wards to the ICU. Of these patients, 425 (20 percent) died during admission.
New Study Shows Full Spectrum Endoscopy Procedure Reduces The 'Miss Rate' of Adenomas During Colonoscopy
May 20, 2013 1:09 pm | News | CommentsAlthough colonoscopy exams prevent many colon cancer deaths and are considered the most sensitive method for detecting colorectal cancers, the procedure is not completely effective in preventing cancer cases. EndoChoice Inc. today unveiled research that shows that its new Fuse system significantly improves the accuracy of this procedure and greatly reduces the number of adenomas missed by colonoscopists.
Fewer Kids Dying While Waiting For New Organs
May 20, 2013 10:53 am | by Kathleen Struck | News | CommentsFewer children died waiting for organ transplants in the past decade after policy changes to the national organ allocation system, researchers stated. The number of children dying before they could receive a transplant dramatically decreased from 262 to 110 as pediatric transplants increased from 2001 to 2010.
MRI Predicts Failing MoM Hip Implants
May 20, 2013 10:48 am | by Salynn Boyles | News | CommentsSynovial volume as measured by MRI is highly predictive of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implant failure in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, a study has found. The findings suggest MRI may be useful for identifying patients who need revision surgery long before symptoms occur and significant tissue damage takes place.
Source Of Infection Affects Hospital Mortality In Septic Shock Patients In The ICU
May 20, 2013 10:29 am | News | CommentsIn ICU patients who have septic shock, the anatomic source of infection has a strong effect on the chances of survival, according to a new study from researchers in Canada. Understanding the local infection source in patients with septic shock may influence treatment strategies and clinical outcomes.
Medical Mistakes Occur At All Levels Of Care
May 20, 2013 9:25 am | by Itzhak Brook, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsI was not aware how common these errors are until I became a patient myself after being diagnosed with hypopharyngeal carcinoma. I am sharing my personal experiences about the medical and surgical errors that occurred during my hospitalizations at three different hospitals. My inability to speak after surgery made it difficult for me to prevent all of these mistakes. Fortunately, I was able to abort many of them.
New Study Reports Key Findings For ABThera Open Abdomen Negative Pressure Therapy System
May 17, 2013 1:36 pm | News | CommentsKinetic Concepts, Inc. announced today that ABThera Open Abdomen Negative Pressure Therapy System (ABThera OA NPT) was associated with significantly improved patient outcomes compared to traditional Barker’s vacuum-packing technique (BVPT) in trauma and surgical patients studied.
Tissue Damage From Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Appears Before Pain Symptoms Appear
May 17, 2013 10:34 am | News | CommentsMetal-on-metal hip implants can cause inflammation of the joint lining (synovitis) long before symptoms appear, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify this inflammation, according to a new study. The study, which appears in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, demonstrates that MRI can be used to identify implants that are going to fail before people become symptomatic.
S.A.F.E.
May 17, 2013 10:01 am | by Steris | Steris Corporation | Product Releases | CommentsSteris offers the new S.A.F.E. Situational Awareness for Everyone Display. It is designed to provide automatic access to key patient information from diverse IT systems – laboratory, radiology, medical records, allergies, and more – within the operating room. It provides a dynamic view of clinical information on a dedicated, easy to read display to optimize clinical decision making and patient safety.
Surgical Residents Bemoan Work Hour Limits
May 17, 2013 9:22 am | by Kathleen Struck | Articles | CommentsEfforts to reduce residents' sleep deprivation and stress with mandatory reductions in work hours have not been popular with hospital attending staff, and now a new survey suggests that the rules are equally unpopular among the residents themselves.
Hysterectomy Does Not Raise Heart Risk
May 15, 2013 11:21 am | by Todd Neale | News | CommentsWomen who have a hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries in mid-life do not appear to have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers found. Changes in various cardiovascular risk factors over time were largely similar when comparing women going through natural menopause and those undergoing hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy.
