Tag: Technology

Medtronic to buy RF Surgical’s sponge tracking system for $235 M

Editor's Note Medtronic has agreed to buy RF Surgical Systems for $235 million. The technology embeds radio frequency tags in surgical sponges, towels, and other products to help track and prevent them from being retained in the patient after surgical procedures.   Medtronic agreed to pay $235 million to buy…

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By: OR Manager
July 15, 2015
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Are guidelines needed for cell phones in the OR?

Editor's Note There are no federal regulations or quality measures that address cell phone use in the OR, but some say the time for clear-cut guidelines has come. They cite errors and lax safety procedures that have resulted from physicians and nurses distracted by cell phone use. But others point…

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By: OR Manager
July 15, 2015
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Cincinnati hospital unveils $6M operating room

Our Take The University of Cincinnati Medical Center invested $6 million to upgrade an OR into a hybrid OR for heart and vascular procedures. The cost was about three times the cost of a non-hybrid OR. The 854 sq ft room includes $2.6 million in equipment and advanced medical imaging devices.…

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By: OR Manager
July 1, 2015
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OR staff reap rewards of paperless patient tracking system

Clearing a patient for surgery is no easy feat, and a completely paper-based workflow can be very inefficient. Switching to a paperless tracking system has cut labor and costs in the preanesthesia screening services (PASS) department at Sinai Hospital, LifeBridge Health, Baltimore, and nurse leaders there hope to integrate the…

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By: OR Manager
May 14, 2015
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UV light disinfection robots help to overpower pathogens

Disinfection robots are first on the ECRI Institute’s 2015 Top 10 Hospital C-Suite Watch List, which includes new and emerging technologies healthcare providers should know about. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a persistent problem, and a recent study supports the efficacy of disinfection robots. However, the technology is expensive, and experts…

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By: OR Manager
May 14, 2015
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Infections spur new guidelines for endoscope reprocessing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 17 published a final guidance on reprocessing reusable medical devices. This guidance, which provides manufacturers with recommendations to validate their reprocessing instructions, comes on the heels of a host of “superbug” bacteria outbreaks related to reprocessing of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) duodenoscopes.…

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By: OR Manager
April 17, 2015
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Research projects potential cost savings with wider use of MIS

Though minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is associated with lower postoperative complication rates, little is known about the cost savings resulting from the reduced rates. Researchers led by Martin Makary, MD, professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, designed a study to calculate the projected cost savings…

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By: OR Manager
April 17, 2015
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Building the business case for a hybrid OR

Hybrid ORs are proliferating in response to market, surgeon, and even patient demands, but building the business case for this technology can be challenging. “It’s a very expensive proposition,” says Lynne Ingle, MHA, BS, RN, CNOR, project manager for Gene Burton & Associates, a healthcare technology consulting company in Franklin,…

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By: OR Manager
February 12, 2015
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EASE app updates families on patients' progress during surgery

As the anesthesiologist places the mask on the little girl’s face, the circulating nurse snaps a photograph and sends it to her parents’ cell phone with a caption saying, “she is safely off to sleep.” The nurse continues to send photographs and videos of the girl’s heart procedure along with…

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By: OR Manager
January 15, 2015
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New curriculum aims to reduce hazards of energy devices in the OR

When it comes to patient safety in the OR, the risk of fire or other damage caused by surgical instruments is an area that deserves greater attention. Professional medical societies concerned about such risks have developed a multidisciplinary curriculum that addresses appropriate and safe use of energy devices in surgery…

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By: OR Manager
January 15, 2015
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