Editor's Note A positive safety and teamwork culture and engaged hospital management were associated with lower surgical site infection (SSI) rates after colon surgery in this study. Researchers, led by Martin Makary, MD, from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, measured 12 dimensions of safety culture and colon SSI rates in surgical…

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Editor's Note Nearly 300 patients who had colonoscopies at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, Massachusetts, may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis because of a lack of adequate disinfection measures used to clean endoscopes, the January 23 Tech Times reports. The hospital started using new equipment that required a…

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Many patients may be able to safely shower 48 hours after surgery without increasing their risk of surgical site complications, and showering may increase patients’ satisfaction and lower the cost of wound care, a new study finds. Showering after surgery is a controversial issue. Traditionally, postoperative wounds are cleaned with…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  on January 15 cleared the Olympus TJF-Q180V duodenoscope with design and label modifications intended to reduce the risk of bacterial infections. The new design of the elevator channel sealing mechanism creates a tighter seal and reduces the potential for leakage of fluids…

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Editor's Note Intraoperative hypotension does not appear to be a clinically important predictor of surgical site infections (SSIs), this study finds. Because hypotension compromises local tissue perfusion, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic hypothesized that intraoperative hypotension might promote infection. Among 2,521 patients included in the analysis, there was no adjusted…

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Editor's Note Very low pressure irrigation with saline is an acceptable, low-cost alternative for irrigating open fractures, this study finds. Managing open fractures requires wound irrigation and debridement, but the effectiveness of various pressures and solutions remains controversial. Researchers investigated the effects of castile soap versus normal saline irrigation delivered…

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Editor's Note Surgical unit safety culture was significantly associated with lower colon surgical site infection (SSI) rates in this study led by Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, professor of surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Dimensions of safety culture that were linked with lower SSI rates, included: teamwork across units organizational…

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Editor's Note Sterilized wrapped instrument trays demonstrated significantly greater protection than sterilized rigid containers against the ingress of airborne bacteria in this study. Of 111 rigid containers tested, 97 failed to maintain barrier performance, allowing bacterial ingress, while 0 of 161 wrapped trays had detectable contamination. Contamination rates of rigid…

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Editor's Note Patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals who developed postoperative Clostridium difficile infections had a five times higher risk of mortality and a twelve times higher risk of morbidity in this study. This analysis of nearly 500,000 surgical procedures found that out of more than 1,800 patients who developed C…

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Editor's Note This study from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, found a significant relationship between OR door openings and room pressure. The OR door was opened, on average, once every 2.5 minutes of surgery. For 77 of 191 knee and hip arthroplasties, the doors were open long enough for…

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