Editor's Note Procedures involving pneumatic tourniquets can be associated with an increased the risk of complications and injuries such as postprocedural skin complications. A recent review of evidence-based practices for safety during surgery when using a pneumatic tourniquet published in the November issue of AORN Journal. This article provided an…
Editor's Note Being able to identify a patient’s risk for a coronary event before surgery helps teams plan for potential complications like heart attack, heart failure, or arrhythmias, and ideally improve postoperative outcomes. New research published November 9 in JAMA demonstrated that coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) improved risk prediction…
Editor's Note Temperature, lighting, and noise can negatively influence surgical performance, according to new research published November 11 in Surgical Endoscopy. A systematic review of 34 studies examining the impact of lighting, temperature, noise, and music on the performance of surgical teams sought to understand how these environmental factors can…
Editor's Note Improving first case on-time starts (FCOTS) in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) can improve overall efficiency. When the first case of the day starts on-time, it leads to a cascading effect that can prevent cancellations, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce stress for perioperative staff. It can also make…
Editor's Note A balanced approach to leveraging AI in surgical decision making should be taken to weigh the benefits of increased efficiency and potential accuracy of using AI against the principles of medical ethics such as patient autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, authors recently advised in the November issue of…
Editor's Note Obesity is a key driver of earlier total hip arthroplasty (THA) and elevated perioperative risk, according to findings published October 29 in Surgeries. While THA is a well-known intervention for older adults with end-stage hip osteoarthritis, the researchers reported a link between an increase in obesity and the…
Editor's Note The incidence of surgical patients being discharged against medical advice is increasing, leading to a subsequent rise in postoperative complications and readmissions, according to new published research. The investigators evaluated trends, risk factors, and postoperative outcomes among surgical patients who were discharged against medical advice and their findings…
Editor's note A liberal blood transfusion strategy after major vascular or general surgery for patients at high risk of a cardiac event did not reduce 90-day death or major ischemic outcome rates compared with a restrictive strategy, according to results from the Transfusion Trigger after Operations in High Cardiac Risk…
Editor's note Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines continue to evolve for specific procedures with the goal to optimize patient recovery and surgical outcome. There is a recognized need for consensus on ERAS recommendations specific to surgery for moderate to severe degenerative cervical myelopathy (DMC)—progressive compression of the spinal cord…
Editor's Note Intentional work to grow leaders is an organizational strategy happening in hospitals across the country to target and prevent a higher level of leadership turnover, according to a November 5 news story in Becker’s Hospital Review. The article discussed how healthcare facilities are pursuing more internal development of…