Published in J Laryngol Otol. 2014 Sep;128(9):814-7 Authors: Valdes CJ et al OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of pterygopalatine fossa injection with xylocaine and adrenaline on: surgical field bleeding and blood loss during functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis, and the duration of the procedure. METHODS: A prospective, single-blinded, controlled trial was performed in […]
Read MoreA position paper from the American Academy of Neurology on the prescription of opioids for noncancer pain outlines “best practices” clinicians should follow to reduce patients’ risk for opioid overdose. These practices, published in Neurology, are: • At each patient visit, track pain and function using a validated instrument, and document the dose of all […]
Read MoreThe American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons issued a new, evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on hip fracture diagnosis and treatment in patients aged 65 years and older. This CPG includes a strong recommendation for preoperative regional analgesia to achieve pain control without increasing the risk for delirium, which is not currently the standard of care […]
Read MoreThe AMA opposes the reclassification of hydrocodone combination products, but placing tighter prescribing rules on drugs such as Vicodin and oxycodone sends a strong message to physicians about the drugs’ high potential for abuse. The combination of a new federal law placing stricter requirements on prescription drugs containing hydrocodone and a new statement criticizing the […]
Read MoreThe death of Joan Rivers has increased scrutiny of outpatient medical centers and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to PBS Newshour. “It can be kind of tricky for patients to tell the difference between what is a hospital [and] what’s an outpatient surgery center,” Shannon Pettypiece of Bloomberg News told Newshour. ASCs differ from hospitals […]
Read MoreI wanted to share this with our readers to increase their overall knowledge on where healthcare is going. Expenditure growth for physician and clinical services is projected to accelerate to 5.9 percent this year, compared with 3.3 percent in 2013, according to a recent report from CMS’ Office of the Actuary published in Health Affairs. […]
Read MoreHere are seven healthcare trends. 1. Cost vs. benefits of healthcare reform. One of the key positive aspects of healthcare reform is the decrease in the number of uninsured Americans, with approximately 10.3 million American adults gaining health insurance coverage between January 2012 and June of this year, according to a study published in The […]
Read MoreI wanted to share this with our readers since most of them practice in a hospital. Medicare is reducing payments to 2610 hospitals from October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015, because of high 30-day readmission rates, Kaiser Health News reports. That’s three quarters of the hospitals that can be penalized under Medicare’s Readmission Reduction […]
Read MoreManagers, supervisors and team leaders have a responsibility to address others’ concerns and behavior in a way that’s both effective and considerate. How you say something is what people will remember about the conversation, so exercise caution when speaking about almost any topic. Be a coach instead of a critic! Here are six things anyone […]
Read MoreAnesthesia Consulting requests usually are from two types of need: those requesting an evaluation of the clinical quality for the anesthesia practice and those wanting assistance with the perioperative process improvement along with practice management of the department. Regardless of the reason for the anesthesia consultation the process starts out the same with an extended […]
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