Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a genetic skeletal muscle disorder that is incited by anesthesia drugs including succinlycholine and inhaled anesthetic agents (Gurunluoglu et al, 2009; Hopkins, 2011; Kim et al, 2011). The disorder is particularly dangerous because it rapidly develops into a hypermetabolic state resulting in hyperpyrexia, tachycardia, and intense…

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The downside of scientific advances is that we come to depend on them and assume they will always be available. In the case of lifesaving pharmaceutical products, that has not been true for a long time. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), because of their relatively low purchasing power and lack of…

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Use of personal mobile devices is pervasive in surgery departments. As in the rest of life, they bring benefits but also risks, OR Manager found in an online survey. An overwhelming majority of respondents—86%—say they believe personal use of mobile devices in the OR sometimes distracts providers from patient care.…

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A large Chicago-area health system has built a clearer, more robust process for resolving any discrepancies in the surgical consent prior to the day of surgery. Consent discrepancies are a risk factor for wrong-site surgery. “We realized that by the time the patient arrives in the surgery area, it is…

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Surgical teams received more ammunition in their quest to avoid wrong-site surgery when the Joint Commission’s Center for Transforming Healthcare issued its latest set of guidelines, called the Targeted Solutions Tool (TST). Released February 14, 2012, the TST is available free to Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).…

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Capnography—is it the standard of care for patients having moderate sedation? Should capnographic monitoring be added for procedures performed under moderate sedation in areas like the preop holding area, GI endoscopy unit, and cath lab? The issue is generating discussion following an update in the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)…

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In a new alert, the Joint Commission adds its voice to calls to curb fatigue from extended work days and work hours. The alert highlights evidence linking fatigue to adverse events and outlines actions organizations can take to mitigate fatigue, especially among nurses and physicians. The commission says the alert…

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A 4-year study shows patient outcomes didn’t change significantly when hospitals and physicians joined in a pay-for-performance (P4P) program for 8 types of surgery. The researchers say this is one of the first studies of P4P to look at patient outcomes. The project used a gainsharing model in which 3…

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It’s common for physicians to order 2 units of blood. But with growing awareness of the hazards of transfusions, hospitals are adopting stricter measures to manage their blood supplies, including developing guidelines for transfusions and making sure physicians are compliant. Over the past 5 years, research has shown that transfusions…

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A surgical site infection (SSI) prevention “bundle” is helping OR teams at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland to further a strategic goal of preventing SSIs. Known as Operation Zero, or “Op-Z,” the initiative is led by the chief of surgery, Brad Cushing, MD, with inspiration from a family whose…

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