BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study describes perioperative patient safety outcomes comparing laparoscopic appendectomy with open appendectomy in the elderly population (defined as age≥65 years) during the diffusion of laparoscopic appendectomy into widespread clinical practice. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of patients undergoing open or laparoscopic appendectomy in the US...

BACKGROUND Due to the increase of cardiovascular diseases acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has become one of the most frequently prescribed drugs these days. Despite the rising number of patients with ASA medication presenting for elective general and abdominal surgery and the potentially increased risk of hemorrhage in these patients, there are no clear, evidence-based guidelines for the perioperati...

BACKGROUND Communication breakdowns represent the main root cause of preventable complications which lead to harm to surgical patients. Standardized readbacks have been successfully implemented as a main pillar of professional aviation safety for decades, to ensure a safe closed-loop communication between air traffic control and individual pilots. The present study was designed to determine the...

BACKGROUND Shivering is a frequent complication following surgery and anaesthesia. A large variety of studies have been reported that nefopam may be efficacious for the prevention and treatment of perioperative shivering. Regrettably, there is still no conclusion of the efficacy and safety of nefopam for the prevention of perioperative shivering. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the effi...

For associate degree nursing students at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, the perioperative nursing clinical experience typically included a one-day observation of a surgical procedure, with students entering the OR suite after the surgery started and having to leave before the surgery was completed. An associate professor of nursing and a perioperative staff education coordinator partner...

While cardiovascular complications remain a leading cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality, studies have shown that prophylactic beta-blocker therapy can reduce the incidence of ischemia, myocardial infarction (MI), and cardiac death. Consensus guidelines and the publication of a recent meta-analysis support the use of perioperative beta-blockade in patients who are at risk for adverse ...

The safety of anesthesia has improved greatly in the past three decades. Standard perioperative monitoring, including pulse oximetry, has practically eliminated unrecognized arterial hypoxia as a cause for perioperative injury. However, most anesthesia-related cardiac arrests in children are now cardiovascular in origin, and standard monitoring is unable to detect many circulatory abnormalities...

BACKGROUND The National Healthcare Safety Network transitioned from surgical site infection (SSI) rates to the standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by statistical models that included perioperative factors (surgical approach and surgery duration). Rationally, however, only patient-related variables should be included in the SIR model. METHODS Logistic regression was performed to pred...

BACKGROUND Following a landmark study showing decreased morbidity and mortality after implementation of the surgical safety checklist (SSC), it has been widely adopted into perioperative policy. We explored the impact of attitudes and beliefs surrounding the SSC on its uptake in Calgary. METHODS We used qualitative methodology to examine factors influencing SSC use. We performed semistructure...

Allergies to certain foods such as soybeans and eggs contraindicate the use of propofol, a short-acting hypnotic medication used by many anesthesia care providers. Understanding the safe use and handling of propofol and communicating known patient allergies to all surgical team members is crucial to providing safe perioperative care. The perioperative nurse's preoperative assessment supports an...