Surgery/Specialties Editor's Note Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) performed a record number of heart transplants in 2017, making it the second-busiest heart transplant program in the country. VUMC performed a record 97 heart transplantations, including pediatric cases, which surpassed the 2016 milestone of 92. Vanderbilt is building a program that…
Editor's Note Physicians are more likely to leave the profession or reduce their hours if they are uncomfortable using electronic health records (EHRs), the January 24 Medical Economics reports. Although EHRs have the potential to enhance quality of care and clinical coordination, they also increase risk of physician burnout, reduce…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 24 announced that its January Quick Safety examines second victim experiences and safety actions to consider, and it also includes an anonymous, personal story of a Joint Commission employee who is a second victim. Though the patient and family are the priority for…
Editor's Note The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology on January 19 announced the release of new clinical practice guidelines on the use of anticoagulants during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Among the guideline recommendations are: optimal heparin dosing for initiation and maintenance…
Editor's Note Though needlestick injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens continue to be significant hazards for surgeons and nurses, concern about risk is declining, and the true conversion risk is underestimated, this study finds. A survey was distributed to 358 medical students and 247 department of surgery staff at an…
The migration of total joint replacements for knees and hips from inpatient hospital ORs to hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is spreading. On November 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) bolstered the trend when it approved the removal of total knee arthroplasty (TKA)…
Editor's Note Postoperative mortality rises as the day of the week of elective surgery approaches the weekend and is higher after admission for urgent/emergent surgery on the weekend, this meta-analysis from the University of Calgary finds. The analysis included 10 studies that involved about 6.7 million patients having elective procedures…
Editor's Note In this survey, most respondents chose surgical rather than nonsurgical treatment for acute appendicitis. Of 1,728 respondents, 85.8% chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 4.9% chose open appendectomy, and 9.4% chose antibiotics alone as treatments for themselves. For their child, 79.4% chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 6.1% chose open appendectomy, and 14.5% chose…
Editor's Note Dissemination of low-cost patient education brochures improved disposal of unused opioids after surgery, this study finds. The study involved 334 patients−164 who did not receive the brochure and 170 who did receive it. Patients who received the brochure informing them of appropriate methods for disposal were twice as…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 11 classified the recall by Edwards LifeSciences (Irvine, California) of its Certitude Delivery System as Class I, the most serious. The system is used for delivery of the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter aortic heart valve. The recall was issued because…
