Anesthesia 
Protecting patient safety in the OR is everyone’s business. No single group should shoulder the full responsibility for reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In addition to infection preventionists, epidemiologists, and environmental services personnel, it is the duty of everyone involved in patient care to provide an optimal clean and aseptic surgical…
Editor's Note In this study, led by the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, researchers developed and validated better surgical specialty-specific multimorbidity definitions based on distinct characteristics of older inpatients undergoing general, orthopedic, or vascular surgery. The researchers used 2016 to 2017 Medicare administrative claims data on patients…
Editor's Note Disrupted sleep rhythms because of the daylight saving time change can throw people off schedule, leading to cumulative sleep loss, the March 9 npr.org reports. Studies have shown there is a higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, automobile accidents, workplace injuries, and mental health issues…
Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in February to a seasonally adjusted 16,688,300 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on March 10. That’s up 44,200 since January. Hospital employment also was up by 19,400 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for March was 3.6%, for a…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, finds that total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed with a cementless prosthesis for a femoral neck fracture led to a higher rate of a second fracture and revision surgery. The multicenter analysis included 709 THAs…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on March 8 announced that it has approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals certified under the Patient Blood Management Certification program, effective July 1. The requirements have been updated to maintain alignment with the Association for the Advancement of Blood…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver, finds an association between a communication and optimal resolution (CANDOR) program and increases in most measures of healthcare professional satisfaction. CANDOR is used when a patient experiences an unexpected adverse outcome. The analysis included survey data from…
Editor's Note This German study finds that extension of the currently recommended 10-year screening colonoscopy intervals may be warranted, especially for female and younger participants without gastrointestinal symptoms. Data on 1.25 million individuals in the German screening colonoscopy registry, the world’s largest registry of its kind, were analyzed. A total…
Editor's Note This study led by American College of Surgeons researchers finds that most hospitals that implemented an enhanced recovery program (ERP) for colorectal surgery had difficulty improving process compliance. Researchers evaluated improvement uniformity among 151 hospitals participating in an 18-month implementation protocol for 6 ERP process measures (oral antibiotics,…
Editor's Note This study, presented March 7 at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting in Las Vegas, finds high reported satisfaction and outcomes in patients who had outpatient joint arthroplasty procedures in academic medical centers. The study included 281 outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and unicondylar knee…
