AORN Journal back issues from April 2008:
Passing the baton.(PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE)(President's page)
Apr 01, 2008; ... As Congress preparations are being finalized, one of the President's assignments is to select the music that will be played during the week, at the Opening Session, and for the Congress highlights video. Although it sounds like an easy task, I have found it difficult to identify the ...
Have you read the last page lately?(EDITORIAL)
Apr 01, 2008; ... As is the case for the editors of many scholarly journals and consumer publications, we at the AORN Journal have a special fondness for our last page and want it to be a place readers turn to for entertainment or enlightenment. Perhaps the last page is a reward for reading through an ...
The hazards of surgical smoke: 3.0 ce.
Apr 01, 2008; ... Surgical smoke is part of the patient care environment wherever surgical or invasive procedures are performed. It is called by a variety of names, including plume, smoke plume, diathermy plume, cautery smoke, aerosols, bioaerosols, vapors, and air contaminants. Surgical smoke results from ...
No superior prostate cancer treatment.
Apr 01, 2008 ... A new report concludes that scientific evidence has not established surgery or any other single treatment as the superior treatment for all men with prostate cancer, according to a February 4, 2008, news release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In 2007, approximately ...
Results of a survey on current surgical smoke control practices.
Apr 01, 2008; ... For several decades, health care workers have been aware of the hazards posed by aerosols, particulates, and vapors, collectively referred to as smoke, that are generated during some types of electrocautery, electrosurgery, ultrasonic scalpel, and laser procedures. Numerous studies have ...
Some marijuana users have increased risk of liver damage.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Research has shown that patients with chronic hepatitis C who use marijuana dairy have a significantly increased risk of moderate to severe liver fibrosis, according to a January 28, 2008, news release from the American Gastroenterological Association. Nearly 4 million people in the United ...
Hospital introduced and now ends latex glove use.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2008 ... In an effort to make medical care safer for patients and hearth care workers, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, is the first major medical institution to end all use of latex groves and most medical latex products, according to a January 14, 2008, news release from Johns Hopkins ...
Mandatory reporting and pay for performance: health care infections in the limelight.
Apr 01, 2008; ... In the past five years, many articles have been published about health care's "dirty little secret" variously known as a nosocomial, hospital-acquired, or health care-associated infections (HAIs). These articles have appeared in popular newspapers and magazines such as the Wall Street ...
Epileptic seizures reduced with modified diet.(Report)
Apr 01, 2008 ... A modified version of a popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may significantly reduce the number of seizures in adults with epilepsy, according to a January 28, 2008, news release from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland. Researchers suggest that the diet may ...
The breastfeeding surgical patient: 1.8 ce.
Apr 01, 2008; ... In the United States, more than 10 million women are either pregnant or breastfeeding at any given time. (1) Of the women currently pregnant, over 70% will initially choose to breastfeed. (2) The breastfeeding surgical patient may present a unique situation for members of the perioperative ...
Developers create unique surgical teaching gown.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Developers have created an educational surgical gown that can be worn by medical students to give them a sense of what it feels like to be a surgical patient, according to a January 30, 2008, news release from Durham University, Durham, England. The gown has nine zippers that represent the ...
Playing it safe: simulated team training in the OR.
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that up to 98,000 patient deaths are caused annually by medical errors. (1) This statistic prompted the IOM to identify patient safety as the first of six goals in its report Crossing the Quality Chasm--A New Health System for the 21st Century. (2) ...
Studies examine infertility related to extra X chromosome.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Anew surgical approach enables men with Klinefelter syndrome to father healthy children approximately 40% of the time, according to a December 19, 2007, news release from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York. Approximately one in every 500 to 650 baby boys ...
Early cholecystectomy may reduce patient costs.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Patients with mild to moderate gallstone pancreatitis may benefit from earlier surgical treatment, according to a December 10, 2007, news release from the American College of Surgeons. When cholecystectomy was performed before laboratory or physical examination abnormalities were resolved, ...
The anxiety- and pain-reducing effects of music interventions: a systematic review.
Apr 01, 2008; ... Nurses face many challenges as they care for the needs of hospitalized patients, and they often have to prioritize physical care over the patient's emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs. Meeting these additional needs is a challenge. In clinical practice, music intervention can be ...
Routine adult vaccinations reduce threat of disease.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Adults who do not get recommended vaccinations leave themselves vulnerable to significant illness and possibly even death, according to a January 23, 2008, news release from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland. Routine immunization of children in the United ...
Registered nurse circulator legislation in Connecticut.
Apr 01, 2008; ... Patient safety is a critically important issue for health care facilities today, and nowhere is an emphasis on patient safety more necessary than in the perioperative arena. Patients in an OR are unable to make their own decisions and must rely on an advocate to look out for their safety ...
Proper cleaning of electrical equipment.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
Apr 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: After taking my patient to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), I returned to the OR to discover that the person who was cleaning was using a saturated, dripping cloth to dean one of the pieces of electrical equipment. I checked our cleaning procedure, and it did not discuss ...
Using appropriate abbreviations in perioperative documentation.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
Apr 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: I graduated from nursing school more than 20 years ago and pride myself on staying up-to-date on current practice trends. As a nursing student, I was taught many abbreviations related to medications. Now, these abbreviations are considered risks to patient safety. How can ...
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services payments.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
Apr 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: There has been much discussion about the decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to deny payment to hospitals for patient conditions acquired from preventable errors. What are the conditions, and how will this affect perioperative nursing? ...
Counting sterile towels.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
Apr 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: One of our surgeons wanted to pack the wound of an obese patient with towels rather than laparotomy sponges. The circulating nurse and scrub person did not want to use the towels because the towels were not part of the preprocedure count nor were they x-ray detectable. The ...
Using single-use towels to wrap instrument sets.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
Apr 01, 2008; ... QUESTION: When reprocessing instruments sets, our Sterile Processing Department personnel wrap towels around the sets or places towels in the bottom of the instrument tray. The towels have been laundered for reuse even though they are labeled as "single use." Our facility sometimes uses ...
Placing patient safety first.
Apr 01, 2008; ... This column is the fourth in a series focusing on safety goals for perioperative nurses. This month s column addresses the important goal of placing patient safety first every day. Achieving this goal may present one of the greatest challenges for clinicians and health care organizations ....
Look-alike/sound-alike names cause thousands of errors.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2008 ... More than 1,400 commonly used medications are involved in errors Linked to medication names that Look alike or sound alike, according to a January 29, 2008, news release from the US Pharmacopeia (USP). The organization's annual MEDMARX data report indicates that 1.4[degrees]/o of these ...
Preventing retained surgical instruments.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Annals of Surgery January 2008 The inadvertent retention of items after the surgical incision has been closed is listed by the National Quality Forum as one of a number of preventable medical errors that should never occur (ie, never events). Never events also ...
Using betamethasone gel to reduce intubation discomfort.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
Apr 01, 2008; ... British Journal of Anaesthesia February 2008 A sore throat, a cough, and hoarseness of voice are common and uncomfortable postoperative occurrences associated with tracheal intubation. Although local-anesthetic jelly can limit potential damage to the tracheal mucosa ...
Purgative bowel cleansing combined with simethicone.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Journal of Gastroenterology January 2008 Capsule endoscopy is recognized as an important tool for investigating gastrointestinal diseases and conditions, including obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, suspected small bowel Crohn's disease, polyposis syndromes, and ...
Surgical site infection in community hospitals.(EVIDENCE FOR PRACTICE)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Annals of Surgery February 2008 Surgical site infections (SSIs) result in adverse patient outcomes, including increased risk of mortality, longer hospitalizations, and increased cost. Beginning in 2008, institutions will no longer be reimbursed by the Centers for ...
Coaching, Counseling and Mentoring: How to Choose and Use the Right Technique to Boost Employee Performance, 2d ed.(Book review)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Coaching, Counseling and Mentoring: How to Choose and Use the Right Technique to Boost Employee Performance 2nd edition Florence M. Stone 2007, 240 pages $24.95 hardcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on the premise that ...
AACN Procedure Manual for Pediatric Acute and Critical Care.(Book review)
Apr 01, 2008; ... AACN Procedure Manual for Pediatric Acute and Critical Care Judy Trivits Verger and Ruth M. Ledbet, eds 2008, 1483 pages $94.95 softcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Historically, pediatric nurses have had difficulty finding procedure ...
Clinical Teaching Strategies in Nursing, 2d ed.(Book review)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Clinical Teaching Strategies in Nursing 2nd edition Kathleen B. Gaberson and Marilyn H. Oermann, eds 2007, 298 pages $45 softcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The editors of this book have produced a resource on clinical ...
Productive Performance Appraisals, 2d ed.(Book review)
Apr 01, 2008; ... Productive Performance Appraisals 2nd edition Paul Falcone with Randi Sachs 2007, 128 pages $10 softcover [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This book supplies readers with the tools they need to conduct an effective performance ...
Caffeine intake may negatively affect diabetes control.(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Researchers have determined that caffeine intake may increase blood sugar Levels for people with type 2 diabetes, according to a January 28, 2008, news release from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Daily intake of caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks may undermine ...
Educational opportunities.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Periop 101. A Core Curriculum. Periop 101: A Core Curriculum--formerly called AORN's Perioperative Nursing Course 101--is a comprehensive, administrator-led, online program for educating new perioperative nurses. The curriculum covers 26 crucial topics and is designed to be ...
Upcoming AORN events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Ambulatory Surgery Administrator Certificate Program May 18-19, 2008 Hyatt Regency, San Antonio, TX Preparing for Magnet[TM] Recognition: A Perioperative Excellence Retreat June 6-7, 2008 Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites Hotel, Chicago, IL Executive Symposium July ...
Preparing for magnet recognition: a perioperative retreat.
Apr 01, 2008 ... AORN and the Competency & Credentialing Institute have developed Preparing for Magnet Recognition: A Perioperative Excellence Retreat, a program that will provide attendees with expert knowledge to ensure success in achieving Magnet status. Presentations given by Cheryl Tatano Beck, RN, ...
Most-effective osteoporosis medication not determined.
Apr 01, 2008 ... Not enough scientific evidence exists to show that bisphosphonates, the most commonly used osteoporosis medications, are more effective than their alternatives, according to a December 17, 2007, news release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). An AHRQ report ...
Something is wrong with my eye.(PERIOPERATIVE GRAND ROUNDS)(Report)
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Case A 36-year-old woman with no significant past medical history underwent a right nephrectomy in the left lateral position. The surgery was uncomplicated her blood pressures intraoperatively were within 20% of her baseline, and she did not have significant blood loss. ...