Editor's Note This population-based analysis finds that implementation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) interventions in total joint patients is limited, with some current trends virtually in contrast to practice guidelines. Of more than 1 million patients analyzed, anesthetic techniques did not differ by OSA status, and overall, less than 25%…

Read More

Editor's Note The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons have jointly published new clinical practice guidelines on enhanced recovery after colon and rectal surgery. The enhanced recovery protocol is multidisciplinary, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and dietitians and involves all aspects of care…

Read More

Editor's Note The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) have released a new guideline to help reduce postoperative total hip and knee infections through the perioperative management of antirheumatic medications. Among the recommendations: Discontinuing biologic therapy before surgery in patients with inflammatory…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 3 published an update to its 1999 guideline for the prevention of surgical site infections. Among the recommendations: Patients should shower or bathe with soap or an antiseptic agent on at least the night before a surgical procedure. Antimicrobial…

Read More

Editor's Note In its process for issuing a new recommendation on screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in asymptomatic adults or adults with unrecognized symptoms, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence on screening for or treatment of OSA. The USPSTF concluded that the current evidence is…

Read More

Editor's Note Three out of four surgery patients may be receiving anticoagulants they don’t need, the January 23 EurekAlert reports.  Researchers reviewed 14,776 records from 13 studies to determine which surgical patients would and would not benefit from anticoagulants. High-risk patients who were given anticoagulants had a significantly decreased risk…

Read More

Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has published new “Practice guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration: Application to health patients undergoing elective procedures.” The document updates its guidelines published in 2011. The guidelines are intended for use…

Read More

Editor's Note Despite guidelines from professional societies, significant variation exists in the management of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), especially for AAA size at repair, use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and the treatment of elderly patients, this study finds. In countries with a private health care system and fee-for-service reimbursement,…

Read More

Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and Surgical Infection Society (SIS) on December 1 announced their newly released guidelines for the prevention, detection, and management of surgical site infections (SSIs). The guidelines give clinicians step-by-step ways to address SSIs and educate patients on ways to contribute to their…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is accepting comments on the draft update to its recommendations for the use of chlorhexidine (CHG)-impregnated dressings to prevent intravascular catheter-related infections. The draft addresses new and updated strategies and is based on a review of the evidence since 2010…

Read More