Anesthesia
Effect of postop anesthesia personnel visits on mortality
Editor's Note This study from the Netherlands finds the addition of postoperative visits by anesthesia personnel (anesthesiologists or residents) to routine monitoring with modified early warning scores (MEWS) did not reduce 30-day mortality. A total of 5,190 (2,490 control, 2,700 intervention) medium- to high-risk elective surgical patients from nine academic…
More anesthesiology residency positions may help with staffing costs, workforce shortages
Editor's Note Adding more anesthesiology residency positions, even without federal funding, may help hospitals save staffing costs and address shortages of anesthesia personnel, finds a study presented January 27 at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2023, in Orlando, Florida. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center compared the…
FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic Mahurkar Acute Dual Lumen High Flow Hemodialysis Catheters
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 30 identified the recall by Medtronic of its Mahurkar Acute Dual Lumen High Flow (13.5 French) Hemodialysis Catheters (Mahurkar QPlus) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of a potential catheter hub defect that may cause…
Incorrect anesthesia start times results in significant revenue loss
Editor's Note Inaccurately recording anesthesia start times is common and results in significant lost billing time for anesthesia practices and medical centers, finds a study presented January 26 at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2023, in Orlando, Florida. The researchers, from Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center in Chicago, analyzed…
FDA: Addition to Class I recall of LivaNova LifeSPARC System Controller
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 27 posted an addition to the Class I recall by LivaNova (TandemLife) of its LifeSPARC System Controller. The addition to the recall provides information about a software update now available to address the previous software malfunction and recall. The System…
Physician happiness down since COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note Medscape’s 2023 Physician Lifestyle and Happiness Report finds that physician happiness fell during the COVID-19 pandemic and is not rebounding easily, the January 20 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The survey findings include: 59% of physicians say they are “somewhat” or “very happy,” down from 84% before COVID-19. The…
ECRI lists Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2023
Editor's Note ECRI on January18 published its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report for 2023, which includes: Gaps in recalls for at-home medical devices Defective single-use medical devices Automated dispensing cabinet overrides Undetected venous needle dislodgement Cybersecurity risks associated with cloud-based clinical systems Inflatable pressure infusers Confusion about ventilator cleaning…
Pediatric patients benefit from calming, quiet OR environment
Takeaways • Children are not small adults. Greater attention should be paid to their fears and anxiety, and equipment and medication should be tailored to meet their needs. • All staff should have Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification. • ASCs can use toys and games as distractions to ease…
ASA updates preop fasting guidelines
Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has updated its 2017 guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration. The new 2023 guidance focuses on topics not addressed in the previous guideline, including ingestion of carbohydrate-containing clear liquids with or…
ERAS patients are prescribed fewer postdischarge opioids
Editor's Note This study by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, finds that patients participating in an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program were prescribed significantly fewer opioids at discharge, compared to patients before ERAS was instituted. A total of 3,983 patients were included (1,929 pre-ERAS and 2,054 post-ERAS).…
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- Medicare Advantage patients see lower perioperative costs than traditional Medicare peers
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- Study: Preoperative behavioral health evaluations improve orthopedic recovery
- 2026 ICD-10 updates bring hundreds of new codes, new complexity
- Standardized pathways cut costs, hospital days in pediatric surgery without raising complication rates
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- Artificial disc replacement proves safe, efficient, cost-saving in outpatient spine surgery
- Hospital-affiliated doctors drive highest costs by avoiding lower-cost sites