Patient & Staff Safety
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.
ACPE Names Brigham And Women's Hospital Winner Of 2013 Leape Ahead Award
April 26, 2013 1:47 pm | News | CommentsThe annual Leape Ahead Award honors the dedication of Dr. Lucian Leape toward the advancement of efficient, effective, and caring delivery of medicine in the U.S. It also underscores ACPE's strong commitment to patient safety and quality, as well as the lifelong development and support of physician leaders.
AllSkin Plus
April 17, 2013 10:15 am | by Viscot Medical | Product Releases | CommentsViscot Medical’s new AllSkin Plus+ is the first prep-resistant ink marker that offers maximum visibility and prep resistance on all skin tones. Its specially-formulated VIXL brilliant blue ink provides enhanced visibility even after prepping with common alcohol-based antiseptics.
Copper Surfaces Reduce The Rate Of Healthcare-Acquired ICU Infections
April 9, 2013 10:49 am | News | CommentsPlacement of copper objects in intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients by more than half, according to a new study. The proportion of patients who developed HAI and/or colonization with MRSA or VRE was significantly lower among patients in rooms with copper surfaces.
At Your Own Risk
April 3, 2013 3:20 pm | by Mike Schmidt, Editor, Surgical Products | Articles | CommentsOccupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens from needle stick injuries and other sharp objects remains a serious problem for all the wrong reasons.
Q&A: Playing It Safe With Sharps
April 3, 2013 2:52 pm | Articles | CommentsAvailable information is being gathered, but when we talk about reporting needle sticks and sharps injuries, many aren't reported. It’s happening on a daily basis in every facility, in a lot of different departments, and the OR is being impacted a lot more because we’re around so many sharp pieces of equipment and patients.
Neutray Sharps Passing Tray
April 3, 2013 10:16 am | by Advanced Medical Innovations | Advanced Medical Innovations (Ami) | Product Releases | CommentsAdvanced Medical Innovations unveiled the Neutray Sharps Passing Tray for hands-free transfer of sharps during a surgical procedure. It has been specifically designed to handle many of the different styles of sharps used in today’s operating room.
Cost Of Sharps Injury Can Range From $375 To $2,500
April 2, 2013 12:46 pm | News | CommentsInjuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons—with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a recent article.
Surgical Smoke: Is It Dangerous To Your Health?
April 2, 2013 9:10 am | by Skeptical Scalpel | Blogs | CommentsSome groups, particularly nursing organizations, are calling for the placement of smoke evacuators in all operating rooms. As you might suspect, these efforts are being vigorously supported by the manufacturers of smoke evacuators. I attempted to find some real evidence about all this, but it is hard to come by.
Doctors Working Less Leads To More Hours
March 27, 2013 1:28 pm | by CBS News | Videos | CommentsA rule that keeps young doctors from working around the clock may be backfiring. Here's a look at two new studies that say the changes are leading to more errors.
Study: Hospitals Get Low Safety Scores
March 21, 2013 10:10 am | by CBS News | Videos | CommentsA new Consumer Reports study rates hospitals with a safety score and most are not making the grade. Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, talks to Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell about the scores.
Transfer & Lift Device
March 20, 2013 10:16 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.
Q&A: Handle With Care
March 18, 2013 3:07 pm | Articles | CommentsIf addressed properly, patient transfer can have major effects on patient experience and help reduce preventable nurse injuries.
Proper Prep Prevents Poor Performance
March 18, 2013 2:21 pm | by Mike Schmidt | Articles | CommentsThe busier the environment at your hospital or medical facility, the more difficult it is to track all the steps of surgical prepping with manual processes.
Microscope Drapes
March 13, 2013 9:53 am | by Ecolab | Ecolab | Product Releases | CommentsEcolab Inc. announced the availability of the Vari-Lens2 line of microscope drapes that help optimize visual accuracy for surgeons while maintaining an effective sterile barrier. The design enhancements of the Vari-Lens2 products include an easier to maneuver objective lens cover and an angled, glass lens that provides durable scratch resistance and improved light transmission to enhance definition while at the same time reducing glare.
Physician Burnout Is An Obstacle To Patient Safety
March 12, 2013 9:18 am | by Bob Wachter, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsI’ve never been more worried about the safety movement than I am today. My fear is that we will look back on the years between 2000 and 2012 as the Golden Era of Patient Safety, which would be okay if we’d fixed all the problems. But we have not.
Double-Gloving Systems
March 8, 2013 10:04 am | by Cardinal Health | Cardinal Health | Product Releases | CommentsCardinal Health offers “blue” double-gloving systems in support of safety initiatives. The system includes a “blue” foundation with a light-colored overglove. Our undergloves - Protexis PI Blue with Neu-Thera and Protexis Latex Blue with Neu-Thera Surgical Gloves - are powder-free, available in synthetic polyisoprene (PI) and natural rubber latex (latex), and are blue in color.
The 2013 Pink Glove Dance From AORN
March 7, 2013 11:10 am | Videos | CommentsOn March 4, 2013, at 6:00 in the morning, more than 1,100 operating room nurses participated in a special Pink Glove Dance in San Diego, CA at Medline's 8th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Breakfast.
Kinecting In The OR
March 7, 2013 10:25 am | Videos | CommentsA hands-on lookat how the capabilities of the Kinect gaming system could be utilized in the operating room.
Study Indicates Accurate Patient Monitoring Under Propofol Anesthesia
March 6, 2013 10:04 am | News | CommentsMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have identified specific EEG (electroencephalogram) signatures that indicate when patients lose and regain consciousness under the general anesthetic drug propofol.
