Countdown to OR Manager Conference: Protect your workplace from violence—How to build a safe environment
Editor's Note Beth Chrismer, MSN, RN, CPHRM, former director of clinical excellence at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System, shared insights into a tragic workplace violence incident that occurred in 2013 at a Texas ambulatory surgery center (ASC) at last year’s OR Manager Conference. Chrismer was risk manager at the time…
How perioperative staff can combat human trafficking—Part 2
Human trafficking (HT) is a hidden-in-plain-sight crime—victims walk among the public at large, yet they remain essentially invisible. Lack of education and knowledge on HT and anti-trafficking measures is particularly egregious in healthcare. In fact, the literature shows the majority of people being trafficked access the system without being identified…
Alternative to mitral valve surgery shows promise, but research criticized
Editor's Note Although data suggest transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) using the MitraClip device may offer similar outcomes to mitral valve surgery in patients with heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), experts have criticized the research, TCT MD reported September 1. Presented at the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC)…
Study: Preoperative depression boosts risk of postoperative delirium
Editor's Note Patients with depressive symptoms are nearly twice as likely to experience delirium after major surgery, according to a meta-analysis published September 4 in the journal Anaesthesia. The evaluation of the link between preoperative depression and postoperative delirium included data from 42 studies involving more than 4.6 million patients.…
Study: Women face higher mortality risk than men for postop atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery
Editor's Note A recent study from two tertiary care centers highlighted significant sex differences in long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery, especially concerning postoperative atrial fibrillation (postopAF), MedPage August 21 reports. The study, published in JAMA Network, found that while women were less likely than men to develop postopAF following a…
How perioperative staff can combat human trafficking—Part 1
Human trafficking (HT) is a global public health crisis and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises that grosses hundreds of billions of dollars annually, all of which are tax-free profits made off the sale of human cargo. And yet, research shows the problem is poorly understood or recognized among…
Bleeding risk should dictate strategy for managing patients on direct oral anticoagulants
Editor's Note Clinicians managing surgical patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) should adopt a different approach depending on the procedure, according to research published August 12 in JAMA Network. Used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism, DOACs must be managed effectively to minimize risks of bleeding, researchers…
‘Surgical pause’ saving lives, expanding beyond VA hospitals
Editor's Note The “surgical pause”—a means of validating whether surgery is truly safe for patients deemed to be “frail” before starting a procedure—significantly reduces mortality rates and is changing practices at more than 50 Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported August 18. Developed by VA surgeons Daniel Hall…
Study links patient mortality to low nurse staffing, overreliance on temporary hospital staff
Editor's Note A recent study conducted across 185 hospital wards in England highlights the significant impact of nurse staffing levels and staff composition on patient mortality. Published August 19 in JAMA, the study analyzed data from over 626,000 hospital admissions between 2015 and 2020. It found that low staffing levels…
Antibiotics gaining acceptance as potential alternative to pediatric appendectomy
Editor's Note Evidence is mounting for the use of antibiotics as a valid alternative to surgery for acute appendicitis, including in pediatric cases, the Washington Post reported August 17. The article details how this treatment—described as a “dark secret” by one expert testifying to its use in the 1950s, prior…
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