Authors: Sohn LE et al., Anaesthesia 2014 May 2; Using the air-Q laryngeal mask airway did not confer advantage in this randomized trial. Fiber-optic tracheal intubation can be particularly challenging in infants. To evaluate the possible benefits of using a supraglottic airway as a conduit for fiber-optic intubation, researchers recruited 80 healthy children between 1 […]
Read MoreAuthors: Horowitz R et al., Ann Emerg Med 2014 Jan 17; Injecting agitated saline into a femoral venous line while sonographically imaging the heart confirms the line’s location. Accidental placement of a femoral venous catheter into the artery can cause limb ischemia, especially in children, who have small femoral arteries. Investigators assessed ability of the […]
Read MoreThe HHS Office of Inspector General released a report finding Medicare inappropriately paid $6.7 billion for evaluation and management services claims in 2010. Here are 10 key things to know about E/M services, their coding and documentation requirements, and the improper Medicare payments. 1. E/M services are covered under Medicare Part B and are performed […]
Read MoreAnesthesia Management: One-Size-Fits-All Hydromorphone Dosing? Authors: Xia S et al., Ann Emerg Med 2013 Nov 11; Pain relief from a 1 mg dose did not vary by patient body weight. Because hydromorphone is distributed widely into multiple tissues, weight-based dosing would seem to be the safest and most effective strategy when treating acute pain. Investigators […]
Read MoreA holographic imaging system for the operating room has been tested successfully by surgeons at an Israeli hospital and soon could be new tool for doctors planning, performing and evaluating minimally-invasive surgical procedures. The system, which was tested at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikva, Israel, allows physicians to touch and interact with […]
Read MoreHospital-physician alignment arrangements are becoming an increasingly sought-after integration model as health organizations are redesigning their approaches to care in the pay-for-performance environment. The rationale for this agreement is to create and standardize best practices, processes and procedures with a focus on systems of care. Here are five things to know about co-management agreements. 1. […]
Read MoreMedicare inappropriately paid $6.7 billion for evaluation and management services claims in 2010 that weren’t coded correctly or lacked documentation, according to an HHS Office of Inspector General report. E/M services are performed by physicians and nonphysician practitioners to assess and manage patients’ health. Medicare paid a total of $32.3 billion for these services in […]
Read MoreAnesthesia Management: Salvaged Blood Safer, Cheaper than Transfusions, Study Says This paper was published in the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society The use of cell savers to re-circulate blood into surgical patients can deliver higher quality red cells, eliminate transfusion risks, and cost hospitals less than […]
Read MoreAnesthesia Management: Ambulatory surgical centers cheaper than hospitals The use of ambulatory surgery centers spiked in recent years, partly because they’re more convenient for patients than hospitals. It turns out they’re cheaper as well. A procedure performed at a surgery center not only gets patients back to their homes quicker, it’s significantly less expensive, according […]
Read MoreAdults treated with gabapentin enacarbil for painful bouts of diabetic peripheral neuropathy demonstrate a lower incidence of peripheral oedema and weight gain than those treated with pregabalin or placebo, according to a randomised, phase 2 safety study presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The 20-week trial included 420 […]
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