Editor's Note An algorithm that uses vehicle telemetry measurements can improve the guidance of motor vehicle victims to the most appropriate place for care, this study finds. The algorithm is a computer-based program that collects information, such as occupants’ use of seatbelts, airbag deployment, vehicle speed, and point of impact.…

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Editor's Note Seven emergency general surgery procedures account for about 80% of all admissions, deaths, complications, and inpatient costs, this study finds. The seven procedures are: partial colectomy small bowel resection cholecystectomy operative management of peptic ulcer disease lysis of peritoneal adhesions appendectomy laparotomy. These seven procedures represent the greatest…

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Editor's Note Expectant mothers who experience a traumatic injury and receive care at a hospital with a designated trauma center experience better outcomes than those treated at a nontrauma hospital, finds this study. The women are less likely to experience preterm labor, have a low birthweight infant, or have meconium…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists on December 7 released a new resource for hospitals, physicians, and OR personnel—the Operating Room Mass Casualty Management checklist. The tool helps anesthesiologists and OR personnel optimize their response and better manage the flow of patient care during mass casualty events. The checklist…

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Editor's Note Including a health information exchange query into emergency department patient care could significantly reduce the number of tests ordered and reduce costs, finds this study. Efficient health information exchange was associated with a 52% reduction in lab tests and a 36% reduction in radiology exams per patient ordered…

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An emergency situation in the OR can rattle even the most experienced surgeons, anesthesiologists, and staff. To help reduce anxiety and prompt a more effective response to emergencies, clinicians increasingly are turning to cognitive aids. These cognitive aids, routinely used for years in aviation and other high-hazard industries, are an…

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New research shows that even a modest 10% reduction in the proportion of emergency surgical procedures for three common conditions could save nearly $1 billion over 10 years. The study also showed significantly lower rates of mortality and better outcomes among patients who had these procedures on an elective basis.…

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Two OR nurses are part of a diverse team that cares for Ebola patients at the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit in Omaha, and the team’s nursing director is Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, RN, a former OR Manager of the Year. “I chose OR nurses to be on the team because…

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In the days after the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, many praised the way the city’s hospitals responded to the attack. But clinicians in those hospitals aren’t resting on their laurels. They have examined what worked well (and not so well) after the event and continue to plan…

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Shooting incidents are occurring throughout the US with increasing and alarming frequency. Among those in late 2013: the Washington, DC, Navy Yard on September 16—12 dead, 3 injured before the gunman took his own life; the Sparks, Nevada middle school on October 21—1 dead, 2 wounded before the student wielding…

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