Patient & Staff Safety
Study: Nitrus Oxide Does Not Increase Heart Attacks
June 19, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsNitrous oxide — best known as laughing gas — is one of the world’s oldest and most widely used anesthetics. Despite its popularity, however, experts have questioned its impact on the risk of a heart attack during surgery or soon afterward. But those fears are unfounded, a new study indicates.
Should Medical Resident Training Be Limited To 40 Hours Per Week?
June 19, 2013 9:17 am | by Skeptical Scalpel, M.D. | Blogs | CommentsWith the exceptions of more paperwork and the burden of the electronic medical record, I’m not so sure residents are busier today, but if they are, what’s making them busier is reduced work hours. As a result, I don't think resident training hours should be limited to 40 hours per week.
Researchers Offer New Framework To Improve Safety, Effectiveness Of Surgical Procedures
June 18, 2013 12:34 pm | News | Comments"Currently, there is no dynamic research framework to systematically detect devices and surgeries that don't offer any benefits to patients or may even be harmful," says co-lead investigator Dr. Art Sedrakyan of Weill Cornell Medical College.
Firmer Breast Implant Gets FDA Nod
June 18, 2013 10:29 am | by Crystal Phend | News | CommentsThe FDA gave the go ahead to a new firmer silicon gel implant for breast augmentation or reconstruction but will require long-term safety reassurance. The MemoryShape Breast Implant has more cross-linking of silicon chains to boost the firmness of the implants, which is of unknown clinical significance, according to the agency.
Medtronic's Infuse Product And Sterility: Questions Remain
June 18, 2013 9:23 am | Articles | CommentsAfter being on the market for more than decade, doctors still can't say with any certainty whether Medtronic's spine surgery product known as Infuse increases the risk of a complication that causes sterility in men. But two independent reviews of the safety and effectiveness of the product heighten concerns about the complication and raise questions about why warnings weren't sounded years earlier.
Surgeon Shortage Linked To Burst Appendices
June 17, 2013 10:00 am | by Kathryn Doyle | News | Comments"The study shows that access to surgical care, especially general surgical care, is important and low access can have real impacts that affect peoples' health," coauthor Thomas Ricketts of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told Reuters Health by email.
Differences In Outcomes Of Cervical Spine Surgery At Teaching Versus Non-Teaching Hospitals
June 14, 2013 10:39 am | News | CommentsFor patients undergoing surgery on the cervical (upper) spine, overall rates of complications and death are higher at teaching hospitals than at non-teaching hospitals, reports a study. But the differences are small and are likely explained by the more-complex surgeries performed and higher-risk patients treated at teaching hospitals.
Less Invasive Hernia Repair Safer for Obese
June 14, 2013 10:20 am | by Crystal Phend | Articles | CommentsLaparoscopic repair of ventral hernias cuts complications and hospital stay for obese patients, a national study showed. The less invasive procedure had less than half as many complications as open surgery. Hospital stays dropped to a median three days versus four with the conventional surgery, yielding lower total hospital charges of $40,387 versus $48,513.
Hospitals Aim To Reduce Kids' Radiation Exposure
June 12, 2013 2:44 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsResearchers who analyzed data in children under the age of 15 who had CT scans between 1996 and 2011 examined the frequency and level of radiation doses. They estimate that of the four million scans performed each year, more than 4,800 kids could develop future cancers as a result of radiation exposure.
Standard Postop Care Reduces Pneumonia Risk
June 12, 2013 11:15 am | by Charles Bankhead | News | CommentsThe incidence of postoperative pneumonia and unplanned intubation decreased following implementation of a standardized postoperative care program, investigators reported. The frequency of postoperative pneumonia declined from 2.6 percent to 1.6 percent and the rate of unplanned intubation from 2.0 percent to 1.2 percent in the year after the postoperative care program went into effect.
Pregnant Woman Dies After Ovary Removed Instead Of Appendix
June 12, 2013 9:33 am | by Skeptical Scalpel | Blogs | CommentsOn June 10, 2013 a 32-year-old "heavily" pregnant woman was reported to have died after having an ovary removed instead of her inflamed appendix. As the infected appendix festered, she became septic and succumbed to multiple organ failure. This tragedy occurred in the UK in late 2011, but has just come to light. How could this have happened?
Fungus Found In Pharmacy's Drugs
June 11, 2013 12:39 pm | by Matthew Perrone, AP | News | CommentsFederal health officials say they have found bacteria and fungus in drug vials from a Tennessee specialty pharmacy that recalled all of its injectable medicines last month. The FDA said that it identified the growths in two unopened vials of a steroid injection and is working with the CDC to identify the exact species of fungus and bacteria.
Transplant Vote Seeks Balance
June 11, 2013 12:33 pm | by Kevin Begos, AP | News | CommentsFaced with a federal judge's order in the heart-wrenching cases of two terminally ill children seeking lung transplants, a national review board sought a balance that will keep such decisions in the hands of doctors, not lawyers or judges. The executive committee of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network resisted making rule changes for children under 12, but created a special appeal and review system to hear such cases.
Transplant Patient Outcomes Strong Following Trauma
June 11, 2013 12:21 pm | News | CommentsPhysicians from the Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have determined that outcomes for traumatic injury in patients with organ transplants are not worse than for non-transplanted patients. One theory indicates that severe trauma activates nearly all components of the immune system, triggering a series of responses that lead to inflammation, which can limit tissue damage and promotes repair.
Study Expands Concerns About Anesthesia's Impact On The Brain
June 7, 2013 10:42 am | News | CommentsAs pediatric specialists become increasingly aware that surgical anesthesia may have lasting effects on the developing brains of young children, new research suggests the threat may also apply to adult brains. Although more research is needed to confirm the study's relevance to humans, the study suggests possible health implications for millions of children and adults who undergo surgical anesthesia annually.
Study: Medical Devices Complicate Complex Conditions In Kids
June 7, 2013 10:36 am | News | CommentsAs modern medical advances help more children with complex conditions live longer, a new study shows a significant number suffer from complications caused by medical devices that are also necessary for their survival. Study authors say their research underscores the continued need to improve care for this growing population of children by enhancing medical device safety practices.
Wrong Site Sleeve
June 7, 2013 10:20 am | by Patient Safety Gear, Inc. | Patient Safety Gear, Inc. | Product Releases | Comments(2013 ESP Award Nominee) The Wrong Site Sleeve by Patient Safety Gear, Inc. marks the surgical site with a skin marker which is placed on the patient’s “wrong limb” to avoid any mistakes once the patient is taken to the operating room. The safety sleeve’s fluorescent orange color alerts medical staff once again of the wrong limb for surgery.
Kids With New Hearts Often Skip Meds
June 7, 2013 9:37 am | by Todd Neale | Articles | CommentsAmong pediatric heart transplant recipients, failure to adhere to immunosuppressive medication is relatively common and is associated with a high mortality rate, researchers found.Over a 7-year period, 9 percent of heart transplant recipients younger than 18 were non-adherent at least once, which set back his or her recovery, according to Christopher Almond, MD, MPH, of Boston Children's Hospital, and colleagues.
Technique Could Identify Patients At High Risk Of Stroke Or Brain Hemorrhage
June 4, 2013 10:48 am | News | CommentsMeasuring blood flow in the brain may be an easy, noninvasive way to predict stroke or hemorrhage in children receiving cardiac or respiratory support through a machine called ECMO, according to a new study. Early detection would allow physicians to alter treatment and take steps to prevent these complications—the leading cause of death for patients on ECMO.
Anesthesia May Boost Dementia Risk
June 4, 2013 9:27 am | by Kathleen Struck | Articles | CommentsIn a prospective population-based cohort study, older adults with at with at least one exposure to general anesthesia over eight years had an increased risk of developing dementia compared with age-matched adults who were not exposed to anesthesia over the same period.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Heal A 'Broken' Heart
June 3, 2013 12:04 pm | News | CommentsProcedures like angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery may save lives, but they also cause excessive inflammation and scarring, which ultimately can lead to permanent disability and even death. A new research report shows that naturally derived compounds from polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s) may reduce the inflammation associated with these procedures to help arteries more fully and completely heal.
Temporary Blood Clot Filters May Do More Harm Than Good For Bariatric Surgery Patients
June 3, 2013 12:01 pm | News | CommentsThe temporary placement of umbrella-like, metal mesh filters in abdominal veins to stop potentially lethal blood clots from traveling to the lungs during and after weight loss surgery may actually increase the risk of death in morbidly obese patients, according to new Johns Hopkins research.
Safe For Stroke Patients To Continue Blood Thinners Before Minor Surgical Procedures
May 31, 2013 11:57 am | News | CommentsMany patients who have experienced strokes or mini strokes take blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause strokes. This can pose a dilemma when a patient needs to undergo a surgical procedure, because blood thinners can increase the risk of bleeding. But a new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology advises that it is likely safe to continue taking blood thinners before minor procedures.
Transfusions With Heart Surgery Might Raise Infection Risk
May 31, 2013 11:10 am | News | CommentsPatients who receive a red blood cell transfusion during or after heart surgery may be at greater risk for infection, according to a new study. However, the use of platelets during transfusions does not appear to carry a similar risk. Limiting red blood cell use could result in fewer major postoperative infections, the researchers suggested.
More Deaths From Surgery Closer To The Weekend
May 29, 2013 10:36 am | News | CommentsPatients undergoing planned surgery appear more likely to die if they have their operation at the end of the week. The mortality rate was lowest for patients having operations on Monday, and increased for each subsequent day of the week. The odds of death were 44 percent higher for operations on a Friday than a Monday.
