Patient & Staff Safety
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.
New Blood Test Finds Allergies Before Implant Surgery
May 15, 2013 11:07 am | News | CommentsImagine what Paula Spurlock must have been going through. Shortly after having a hip replaced in 2011, the trouble started. "I had horrible itching, really bad migraines and intense pain throughout my body," she said. "I couldn't take it. Every single thing in me itched." After many months and several trips to specialists, Spurlock was told it could be anything from food allergies to her medication.
Let's Move Forward
May 15, 2013 10:13 am | by Mike Schmidt, Editor, Surgical Products | Blogs | CommentsI hope that the FDA’s efforts investigate robotic surgery will not slow or dissuade brilliant individuals and forward-thinking companies from developing more useful solutions for the operating room. I have no desire to see hospitals, surgeons, and OR staff members balk at these solutions in favor of re-embracing traditional or old-fashioned practices and attitudes.
The Alarming Statistics Related To Medical Misdiagnosis
May 14, 2013 2:56 pm | by CBS News | Videos | CommentsThe journal of the American Medical Association says approximately 150,000 Americans are misdiagnosed every year. And one-in-three patients die or are debilitated. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips reports on this disturbing study.
Wrong Kidney Removed At Mount Sinai Medical Center
May 14, 2013 10:30 am | by Ryan Jaslow | News | CommentsA 76-year-old man had the wrong kidney removed by a surgeon at a prominent New York City Hospital, officials confirmed Friday. A surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City has been relieved of his duties at the hospital after removing the wrong kidney from the man who had been on dialysis because of two diseased kidneys.
OR Noise Can Have Disruptive Effect On Surgeon's Auditory Processing Abilities
May 13, 2013 10:38 am | News | CommentsAmbient background noise-whether it is the sound of loud surgical equipment, talkative team members, or music-is a patient and surgical safety factor that can affect auditory processing among surgeons and the members of their team in the operating room (OR), according to a new study.
HoverSling Combination Transfer & Lift Device
May 13, 2013 10:00 am | by HoverTech International | HoverTech International | Product Releases | CommentsHoverTech International introduces a next generation patient handling solution: the HoverSling Combination Transfer & Lift Device for lateral transfers, repositioning, turning, and vertical lifting. The HoverSling streamlines patient handling tasks by reducing the time and money spent using multiple products, while creating a more comfortable transfer for patients.
Cryoablation May Not Need Full Anesthesia
May 10, 2013 11:47 am | News | CommentsGeneral anesthesia may not be necessary during cryoablation procedures for atrial fibrillation, a small study suggested. Conscious sedation with dexmedetomidine (Precedex) plus some fentanyl and midazolam (Versed) was enough to keep patients comfortable through the procedure without any recollection afterward of the painful phrenic nerve pacing involved.
Woman Can't Walk After Wrong-Site Surgery
May 9, 2013 10:33 am | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsA Missouri woman is left unable to walk or talk after surgeons operate on the wrong side of her brain. This video reports on a lawsuit that has been filed accusing the hospital and doctor of medical malpractice. It's a pretty serious situation, and one that serves as a valuable lesson to healthcare professionals.
Thoracic Endografts Used To Remove Tumors Invading The Aorta
May 8, 2013 10:39 am | News | CommentsTumors have the potential to grow locally and invade neighboring organs. Some chest tumors may invade one of the great vessels of the body, the aorta. Surgical removal of these tumors is very challenging and necessitates the support of a heart-lung machine. Therefore there is an increased risk of complication and death.
SnapIT Lite
May 8, 2013 9:46 am | by Cincinnati Surgical | Cincinnati Surgical Co. | Product Releases | CommentsCincinnati Surgical introduces SnapIT Lite, a revolutionary new product that eliminates sharps injuries from opening glass ampoules. The SnapIT Lite opens and stores the severed ampoule lid until it can be ejected into a proper waste receptacle, protecting medical staff against the risk of painful lacerations.
Certain Bladder-Cancer Patients May Be At Risk Of Recurrence Despite Bladder Removal
May 7, 2013 10:46 am | News | CommentsThe five-year international study led by researchers at UT Southwestern validates the use of a marker panel to predict which patients are more likely to have a recurrence of cancer after bladder removal, thereby identifying those patients as good candidates for follow-up chemotherapy.
Left Wondering
May 7, 2013 9:15 am | by Mike Schmidt, Editor, Surgical Products | Blogs | CommentsNo recent internet headline or cleverly-worded web teaser caused me to click my computer mouse on it faster than one that linked to a video discussing a Consumer Reports study on hospital safety. Strangely enough, it wasn’t the subject matter that grabbed my attention. It was the tone of the headline: “Hospitals Get Low Safety Scores In New Study.”
Lung Transplant: Jump To Top Of List May Carry Risk
May 7, 2013 9:02 am | by Salynn Boyles | Articles | CommentsAn acute increase in lung allocation score (LAS) of more than five units in the month before lung transplant is a strong and independent predictor of post-transplant death according to a new study. The lung allocation score has been used in the U.S. since 2005 to determine which patients in need of lung transplants will get them.
Robotic Angioplasty Achieves 97.6 Percent Clinical Success Rate
May 6, 2013 1:51 pm | News | CommentsCorindus Vascular Robotics announced that the Journal of American College of Cardiology published the results from its CorPath PRECISE (Percutaneous Robotic-Enhanced Coronary Intervention) study in the April 2013 issue. Results of the trial demonstrate the CorPath System is safe and feasible for patients, with significantly lower harmful radiation exposure to the operator.
Is A Board-Certified Surgeon A Safer One?
May 6, 2013 9:28 am | by Chris Porter, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsAm I safe surgeon, or merely a board certified one? I usually spend Tuesdays fixing elective hernias. But the other day I was asked to clear a c-spine, handle an unexpected gynecologic finding, manage a pediatric trauma, resuscitate a septic ICU patient, and opine on a neck dissection. No, I wasn’t in Africa or 1985; I was sitting in front of a computer monitor.
Anesthesia Selection Impacts Outcomes In Patients With Sleep Apnea Undergoing Joint Replacement
May 3, 2013 10:54 am | News | CommentsUsing regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in patients with sleep apnea undergoing total joint replacement decreases major complications by about 17 percent, according to a recent study published online. Currently, up to 25 percent of patients presenting for surgery in the United States have sleep apnea.
Study: Survival From Cardiac Arrest Highest In OR, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
May 1, 2013 10:56 am | News | CommentsUniversity of Michigan study from the “Online First” edition of Anesthesiology found cardiac arrest was associated with improved survival when it occurred in the operating room (O.R.) or post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) compared to other hospital locations. The findings offer evidence that the presence of anesthesia providers in these locations may improve outcomes for certain patients.
Lawsuit Accuses Surgeon Of Operating On Wrong Side Of Woman's Brain
April 30, 2013 10:49 am | by Jim Doyle | News | CommentsThe patient, Regina Turner, 53, of St. Ann, was scheduled on April 4 for a “left-sided craniotomy bypass” at St. Clare Health Center in Missouri, according to a complaint filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County in Clayton. Instead, she received a “right-sided craniotomy surgical procedure,” the suit alleges.
Antidepressants Linked With Increased Risks After Surgery
April 30, 2013 10:40 am | News | CommentsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – among the most widely prescribed antidepressant medications – are associated with increased risk of bleeding, transfusion, hospital readmission and death when taken around the time of surgery, according to an analysis led by researchers at UC San Francisco and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass.
Connecticut Surgical Quality Collaborative Announces Addition of Six Hospitals
April 26, 2013 3:34 pm | News | CommentsThe Connecticut Surgical Quality Collaborative (CtSQC), a statewide group of 20 hospitals, meets regularly to share quality outcomes including successes and best practices for the benefit of all patients in the state. The CtSQC announced that six additional hospitals are joining this effort.
