Performance Improvement 
Editor's Note Preliminary results from a nearly million-case review reveal that perioperative pulmonary aspiration, while feared, is rare but potentially deadly. According to a February 4 Anesthesiology News report, researchers found an overall incidence of 1 in 5,572 anesthesia cases, with aspiration-related mortality at about 1 in 67,000. As detailed…
Editor's Note Wisconsin nurses—including Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)—gain more autonomy under legislation signed August 8 by Governor Tony Evers, according to an August 8 report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Under the new legislation, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, CNRAs and certified nurse-midwives who meet certain qualifications may obtain…
Editor's Note A recent article in AORN Journal underscores the need for vigilance and thorough documentation to manage postoperative mental status changes and prevent harm to both patients and staff. As detailed in the article, cognitive disturbances such as delirium and agitation can complicate recovery after surgery. Delirium is characterized…
Editor's Note Two workers at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) are facing federal charges after allegedly interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest, The Independent July 27 reports. The federal agents reportedly arrested one of the workers and are pursuing the other after both were accused of assaulting…
Editor's Note Psychological interventions such as hypnosis, music therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may reduce acute pain in clinical settings, though statistically significant effects were found only in some studies, according to a July 16 scoping review published in The Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Hypnosis was the most adaptable…
Editor's Note A recent article from Cleveland Clinic details the use of confidential staff forums to address barriers to escalating patient care concerns, resulting in greater caregiver engagement and targeted improvements. Published July 25, the article describes how nursing leaders collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic Alliance for Patient and Caregiver…
Perioperative leaders often have to make critical decisions, not just in the middle of an operational crisis but also somewhere in the edges—the routine but still high-stakes moments where leaders need to adjust resources or absorb costs under tight constraints. The economic margin for error continues to narrow, and many…
Editor’s Note: This page is a companion piece to the main article, Emergency preparedness: Identifying essential supplies for unplanned surgical events. While the main article outlines the principles of emergency readiness and supply preparation in the OR, the posts below offer a closer look at two key implementation areas: Supply…
Editor's Note A July 16 study published in BMC Research Notes found that mental fatigue among perioperative nurses is significantly associated with increased rates of missed perioperative nursing care. This cross-sectional study surveyed 385 operating room nurses working in university-affiliated hospitals in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Participants met inclusion criteria related…
Editor's Note Regular check-ins and visible leadership can help ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) head off legal trouble before it starts. That is the central message from employment attorney Salvatore Puccio on a recent episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, Ambulatory Surgery Center News July 23 reports. Puccio, a partner…
