Patient Safety & Outcomes

Sharps injuries and needle sticks are a significant hazard in the operating room, and providers who don't comply with prevention practices can endanger themselves, their colleagues and their patients. Mary J. Ogg, MSN, RN, CNOR, sharps expert with the Association…

The success of surgical safety checklists depends on leaders’ ability to persuasively explain why and show how to implement the checklist, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The study, titled “Effective Surgical Safety…

The quality of anesthesia can affect patient satisfaction, quality outcomes and finances in a surgery center. Richard P. Dutton, MD, executive director of the Anesthesia Quality Institute, discusses five ways ambulatory surgery centers could improve anesthesia quality — on behalf…

Young children exposed to a brief, single anesthetic did not show any evidence of adverse long-term effects on the brain, according to a new Danish study published in the May 2011 issue of Anesthesiology.

Disruption of the pain receptor transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 can affect mortality, blood bacteria clearance and cytokine response in sepsis, according to a study published in Anesthesiology.

Compromised mental health may be associated with persistent post-operative pain after total knee replacement surgery, according to an Anesthesiology News report based on evidence from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Ellison "Jeep" C. Pierce Jr., MD, a Boston-based anesthesiologist who played a significant role in reducing the rate of anesthesia-related fatalities, has died at age 82, according to a Boston Globe report.

Noise pollution presents a myriad of problems such as fatigue, miscommunication, threats to patient safety and decreased employee satisfaction. Studies show that sound levels in the average healthcare setting may reach more than double the recommended 45 decibel daytime maximum…

Zeev Kain, MD, a UC Irvine anesthesiologist, will use a $3.2 million National Institutes of Health grant to research pain and anxiety in pediatric patients before and after surgery, according to a Health Canal report.

The Intensivist Group, a provider of critical care services to community hospitals, has launched a new advanced critical care program at Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill., according to a news release.