Published in Anesthesiology 3 2015. Authors: Randolph H. Steadman, M.D., M.S et al Background: This study describes anesthesiologists’ practice improvements undertaken during the first 3 yr of simulation activities for the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology Program. Methods: A stratified sampling of 3 yr (2010–2012) of participants’ practice improvement plans was coded, categorized, and analyzed. Results: Using the sampling […]
Read MorePUBLISHED in Anesthesia & Analgesia: March 2015 – Volume 120 – Issue 3 – p 526–533 AUTHORS: Glance, Laurent G. MD et al. BACKGROUND: One of every 150 hospitalized patients experiences a lethal adverse event; nearly half of these events involves surgical patients. Although variations in surgeon performance and quality have been reported in the […]
Read MoreSurvival rates for high-risk surgeries diverge greatly from hospital to hospital, a new report indicates, underscoring the fact that much work still needs to be done to improve patient outcomes. In the analysis, the nonprofit Leapfrog Group used 2013 data from 1,500 hospitals to determine “predicted survival” rates for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs, aortic valve replacements (AVR), esophagectomy […]
Read MoreAuthors: Spertus J., N Engl J Med 2015 Mar 12; 372:1069 A randomized trial suggests no significant differences between liberal and restricted thresholds — but leaves room for debate. The optimal hemoglobin threshold for transfusion after surgical procedures is a longstanding controversy. Observational studies of patients undergoing cardiac surgery have suggested worse outcomes with liberal transfusion thresholds […]
Read MoreAuthors: King JT Jr et al., JAMA Surg 2015 Feb 25; Thirty-day mortality, although relatively low, was still higher than for HIV-uninfected patients. Now that HIV-infected individuals have a near-normal life expectancy, they are increasingly likely to undergo surgical procedures. How do their short-term surgical outcomes compare with those of HIV-uninfected patients? To answer this question, investigators studied […]
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