Editor's Note An analysis of 8 years of data by Johns Hopkins University researchers finds that more than 250,000 people die annually because of medical errors, which translates to 9.5% of all US deaths each year. The findings make medical errors the third leading cause of death. This surpasses the…

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Editor's Note The overall risk of complications after colonoscopy increases when patients receive anesthesia, this study finds. The use of anesthesia was associated with a 13% increase in complications within 30 days, including a higher risk of perforation, hemorrhage, and abdominal pain. The risk of perforation was 26% higher in…

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Editor's Note Psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety, were independently associated with higher all cause 30-day readmissions after elective spine surgery in this study. Of 400 patients involved in the study, outcomes data was available for 107. Results showed the rate of readmission was three-fold greater for patients with…

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Editor's Note In this meta-analysis, the majority of studies suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. The studies reported worse outcomes for a number of events, including pulmonary and combined complications among OSA patients versus control patients. The association between OSA and…

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Editor's Note National Nurses Week is May 6-12, with May 12 celebrated as International Nurses Day in honor of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the important role nurses play in society. This year’s theme is “Culture of Safety: It starts with You.”…

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Editor's Note Liver transplant candidates who are the sickest and should be first in line for a donor liver are increasingly being removed from the wait list because they are considered too sick to transplant, finds this study. Between 2007 and 2012, more than 4,300 patients were taken off the…

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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 In intermediate-risk patients, outcomes (ie, death from any cause or disabling stroke) of transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) were similar to conventional open aortic-valve replacement, this study finds. The study involved 2,032 patients: 1,011 were randomized to TAVR and 1,021 to open surgery. Previous studies have shown that survival rates…

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Editor's Note Hand and arm surgical procedures can be completed safely in the outpatient setting at a freestanding ambulatory surgery center (ASC), this study finds. In this retrospective review of nearly 29,000 cases performed at a freestanding ASC over an 11-year period, there were 58 adverse events, for an overall…

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Editor's Note A quick, reliable, and cost-effective mobility assessment tool helped to identify older patients at risk for adverse postoperative outcomes in this study. Mobility was assessed with 10 animated video clips of activities. Patients were asked to watch each clip and respond to a series of questions about their…

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