Editor's Note Nearly 20% of patients are discharged before all vital signs are stable, which is associated with an increased risk of readmission and death, this study finds. Of 32,835 patients from six Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, hospitals analyzed, researchers found abnormalities in temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and…

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Editor's Note Technical and nontechnical skills are both important to successfully and safely perform surgical procedures, according to recommendations presented August 5 at the National Surgical Patient Safety Summit in Rosemont, Illinois. Among the recommendations were that the surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses, and support staff ensure consistent use of surgical safety…

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Editor's Note Patients who received high-quality discharge planning were less likely to be readmitted within 30 days, finds this study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study of 2.1 million patients in 16 states, who were treated for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and total hip or…

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Editor's Note Loss of independence in surgical patients 65 years and older was associated with readmission and mortality after discharge, this study finds. The study of more than 5,000 patients found that loss of independence occurred frequently and increased with age. After risk adjustment, loss of independence was significantly associated…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from the University of California, Irvine, report on data for the second year of implementation of the total joint replacement Perioperative Surgical Home program. During the 2-year period there were 328 primary joint arthroplasty patients. Length of stay was significantly shorter in the second…

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Editor's Note Fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasties with a median length of stay of 3 days and discharge to home are feasible in most patients 85 years of age or older, this study finds. Of 13,775 procedures included in the analysis: median age was 87 years and median length…

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Editor's Note Hospitals that more often refer patients to inpatient facilities (eg, skilled nursing homes or rehabilitation centers) after surgery also tend to have shorter lengths of stay and higher readmission rates, this study finds. Researchers analyzed data for nearly 113,000 patients treated at 217 hospitals in 39 states. Higher…

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Editor's Note Two home visits by a physician assistant (PA) in the week after discharge significantly reduced the chance that a cardiac surgery patient would be readmitted, finds this study presented January 26 at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Of 1,185 patients analyzed, those who received…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to revise discharge planning requirements that hospitals, including long-term care hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, critical access hospitals, and home health agencies, must meet to participate in CMS programs. Changes to discharge planning requirements would: bring them into…

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Nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia providers all have one main goal for patients undergoing surgery—a smooth recovery that returns patients to their daily lives as quickly as possible. Some healthcare providers have adopted enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols as a strategy for meeting that goal, and preliminary research suggests merits…

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