Editor's Note This study by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, finds that preoperative surgeon intuition is an independent predictor of postoperative complications, but it isn’t as strong as the predictive power of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP)…

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Editor's Note A recent Health Day-Harris Poll online survey finds that 63% of nurse and physician respondents are experiencing moderate or severe burnout at work, the February 23 Health Day News reports. Other findings include: 66% of physicians and 75% of nurses cite understaffing as the main contributor to burnout…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Pittsburgh finds that preoperative frailty screening was associated with significantly reduced 1-year postoperative mortality. A total of 50,463 patients (22,722 before implementation of a frailty assessment initiative and 27,741 after implementation) with at least 1-year of postoperative follow-up were included in the…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 22, announced that it had approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals in the Patient Blood Management certification program. The program is a voluntary 2-year certification based on the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies Standards for…

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Takeaways Gun-related violence is an increasing threat in healthcare settings, including perianesthesia departments and ASCs. Small hospitals and ACS are not immune to active shooter events. New requirements from The Joint Commission require planning and preparation for active shooter events. Elizabeth Dalton, BSN, RN, will never forget the day her…

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Float teams have been a staple of nurse-staffing plans for many years, but they have not been widely used in the operating room. Utah Valley Hospital, a Level II trauma center in Provo, Utah, and part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, has been developing float teams for nearly 2 decades.…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the California VA Palo Alto Health System and Stanford School of Medicine compares trends in the use of robotic surgery for common general surgical procedures among Veterans Health Administration (VHA), community practice, and academic healthcare centers between January 1, 2013, and December 31,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 15 identified the recall by GE HealthCare of its Nuclear Medicine 600/800 Series systems as Class I, the most serious.  The recall was initiated because of an issue with two mechanisms that prevent uncontrolled detector movement. If the mechanisms fail,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 2 identified the recall by Smiths Medical of certain CADDTM Infusion System Administration Sets and Cassette Reservoirs as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of tubing occlusion and false “no disposable attached” alarm issues, which may…

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Editor's Note “Patients, physicians, and others basically label hospitals as the place you go when you’re sick,” Joan Dentler, MBA, Founder and President of Avanza Healthcare Strategies, said when opening the session, “ASC Joint Ventures—Risk or Reward?” On the flip side, she continued, “outpatient services is where you go when…

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