RT @amednews: Physician smartphone popul

RT @amednews: Physician smartphone popularity shifts health IT focus to mobile use http://bit.ly/cznPIy

What support surfaces are ORs using? – Summary by Jerry Ippolito

What support surfaces are ORs using? – Original Article Printed in OR Manager April 2010

Results of an informal survey of 51 Minnesota hospitals indicate:

What criteria does your hospital use to determine if a patient is at high risk for pressure ulcer development in the OR?

• Braden assessment  38%
• Length of procedure  26 %
• No criteria  23%
• Patient characteristics  15  %
• Braden assessment plus other criteria  13%
• Not applicable as lengthy procedures are not performed  5%

Support surfaces used in OR for patients not at risk for pressure ulcer development

• Standard OR mattress  61%
• Mattress with pressure redistribution properties beyond standard surface  39%

For patients deemed at high risk for pressure ulcer development

• Standard OR mattress  44%
• Mattress with pressure redistribution properties beyond standard surface

Surgical site infection rate data – Summary by Jerry Ippolito

Surgical site infection rate data – Original Article Appeared in OR Manager

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects and reports SSI data through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  Facilities volunteer to participate and submit infection data in a standardized manner.

The latest report for 2006-2008is posted at www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html with the SSI rates reported in Table 22 by procedure code

If you want to compare your facility’s SSI rates and ratios with those of NHSN, the CDC indicates that you must collect your data according to the method described by NHSN

NHSN uses a risk index that assigns surgical patients to categories based on 3 major risk factors:

1. Duration of procedure
2. Wound class: Contaminated (Class 3) or dirty/infected (Class 4)
3. ASA classification of 3, 4 or 5, referring to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status

Learn how SAC helps prevent surgical site infection by monitoring antibiotic protocols through our proprietary QA measurement tool called – Quantum Clinical Navigation System. www.seanesthesiology.com

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants provides you with the ability to staff your anesthesiology program, and can assist you in improving overall perioperative service efficiencies. By contracting with SAC, you can capitalize on our medical expertise to provide you program development, management, staffing and consulting in the following areas:
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Quality Initiatives
• Perioperative Services

Learn more about our services at www.seanesthesiology.com

Sepsis, pneumonia after surgery takes heavy toll in lives and costs – Summary by Jerry Ippolito

Sepsis, pneumonia after surgery takes heavy toll in lives and costs

Two common hospital acquired conditions, sepsis and pneumonia killed 48,000 patients and cost $8.1 billion in 2006 alone, according to a large national study.

In a separate analysis of outcomes associated with surgery, the researchers found that nearly 20% of patients who developed a sepsis after surgery died as a result.  Patients with sepsis stayed in the hospital 22 days longer at an extra cost of $33,000 per person.

Patients who developed postoperative pneumonia were in the hospital for an extra 14 days at a cost of $46,000.  In 11% of cases, patients died from pneumonia.

According to Ramanan Laxminarayan, PhD, one of the study’s authors, “In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals.  The nation urgently needs a comprehensive approach to reduce the risk posed by these deadly infections”.

The researchers analyzed 69 million discharges from hospitals in 40 states.

For the complete article: Eber MR, Laxminarayan R, Perencevich E N, et. al Archives of Internal Medicine 2010; 170(4):347-353

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants provides you with the ability to staff your anesthesiology program, and can assist you in improving overall perioperative service efficiencies. By contracting with SAC, you can capitalize on our medical expertise to provide you program development, management, staffing and consulting in the following areas:
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Quality Initiatives
• Perioperative Services

Learn more about our services at www.seanesthesiology.com

New training kit for malignant hyperthermia – Summary by Jerry Ippolito

New training kit for malignant hyperthermia – As seen in OR Manager April 2010

The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States has introduced a new training kit to help OR staff better prepare for MH emergencies.

The kit includes a 22 minute video of t mock drill and cards that detail how to prepare for a drill and specific responsibilities of participants.  The kit also includes case scenarios, frequently asked questions, and a demonstration on mixing dantrolene.

www.medical.mhaus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/content.display/pagepk/mockdrillkit.cfm

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants provides you with the ability to staff your anesthesiology program, and can assist you in improving overall perioperative service efficiencies. By contracting with SAC, you can capitalize on our medical expertise to provide you program development, management, staffing and consulting in the following areas:
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Quality Initiatives
• Perioperative Services

Learn more about our services at www.seanesthesiology.com

Robotic prostate surgery growing despite unproven results – Summary by Jerry Ippolito

Robotic prostate surgery growing despite unproven results

Though more patients are asking for it and surgeons are learning the technique, robotic-assisted prostate surgery has not been proven to have better outcomes than open surgery and is more expensive reports the Feb 13^th New Your Times.  Last year, 86% of men who had prostate cancer surgery had robot-assisted procedures, yet no large studies are planned or underway to see if robot-assisted prostate surgery gives better, worse, or equivalent long-term cancer control than the traditional methods.

Researches say the robot is an example of how technology can spread long before investigators know whether it is worthwhile.  Patients may end up making life-changing decisions based on little more than assertive marketing or surgeon preference

For the complete article visit www.nytimes.com (registration required)

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants provides you with the ability to staff your anesthesiology program, and can assist you in improving overall perioperative service efficiencies. By contracting with SAC, you can capitalize on our medical expertise to provide you program development, management, staffing and consulting in the following areas:
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Quality Initiatives
• Perioperative Services

Learn more about our services at www.seanesthesiology.com

Better Outcomes for Hospitals Highly Specialized in Orthopedics – Summary By Jerry Ippolito

Better outcomes for hospitals highly specialized in orthopedics – As reported in OR Manager April 2010

Postoperative mortality rates were twice as high (1.4% vs. .73%) for patients having hip and knee replacements in hospitals were the least specialized in orthopedic surgery compared to those that were the most specialized in a study published in the British Medical Journal.

Patients at the most specialized hospital had lower rates of serious complications such as infections, deep vein thrombosis and myocardial infarctions.

The findings were based on Medicare data of nearly 1.3 million patients who had hip or knee replacements at 3,818 US hospitals between 2001 and 2005.

See the full article:  Hagen, T. P., Vaughan-Sarrazinm S., Cram P., British Medical Journal 2010;340:c165

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants provides you with the ability to staff your anesthesiology program, and can assist you in improving overall perioperative service efficiencies. By contracting with SAC, you can capitalize on our medical expertise to provide you program development, management, staffing and consulting in the following areas:
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Quality Initiatives
• Perioperative Services

Learn more about our services at www.seanesthesiology.com