Surgery/Specialties Editor's Note Implementing strategies to reduce the number of OR door openings during total hip and knee procedures helped lower surgical site infections (SSIs) in this study presented at the 2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Conference in San Diego. Strategies included stopping all traffic in…
It was shortly after 2 am on Sunday, June 12. Ambulances, trucks, and cars started arriving at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) loaded with shooting victims from a terrorist attack at the Pulse nightclub. Because ORMC was just a couple of blocks from the nightclub, first responders loaded multiple victims…
How do OR leaders enhance family members’ satisfaction with the communication they receive when their loved ones are in surgery? Thanks to advances in technology, many are turning to tools like mobile apps and text messaging. At Memorial Medical Center (MMC) in Springfield, Illinois, Lexanne Darwent, BSN, RN, helped implement…
Editor's Note A surgical comanagement hospitalist program reduced complications, length of stay, 30-day readmissions, number of consultants, and cost of care in this study. There was no significant changed in patient satisfaction and the average savings was $2,642 to $4,303 per patient. This retrospective study by researchers from Stanford University…
Editor's Note Frailty has a significant impact on postoperative outcomes that varies with procedure, this study finds. Using data on 232,352 patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who had elective, high-risk surgical procedures, multivariate analysis found that frailty was associated with complications, prolonged duration…
Editor's Note A GlobalData report predicts the global knee and hip reconstruction market will reach almost $16.5 billion by 2022, with a 2.5% compound annual growth rate, according to the June 29 Becker’s Spine Review. Among the things to know: The market was valued at $14 billion in 2015. Various…
Editor's Note A program at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, to improve orthopedic surgery residents’ communication skills with older adults is paying off, according to a new study presented at the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors meeting on June 24 in Seattle. A total of 64 residents…
Editor's Note Rebuilding America’s Warriors (RAW) will provide free surgery to survivors of the Orlando nightclub shootings, WFTV9 Eyewitness News reports. The RAW group comprises more than 350 surgeons in more than 40 states who perform reconstructive surgery for war veterans for free. In addition to the surgeons covering the…
Editor's Note Preoperative falls may be common and often injurious in surgical patients across all ages, and they are associated with preoperative functional dependence and quality of life, this study finds. The study included 15,060 adult patients undergoing elective surgery. In the 6 months before surgery, 26% fell at least…
Editor's Note The overall risk for deep wound surgical site infections (SSIs) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is low, but it varies by graft type, this study finds. Of 1,452 patients included in the study, 55 had deep wound infections. Infection risk was highest for hamstring autograft (2.5%), compared…
