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Silicone breast implants are now available for cosmetic purposes after a long hiatus, and chances are good that surgeons are using them in your operating rooms. But should you worry about a repeat of the lawsuit frenzy that led to the banishment of silicone implants years ago?
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"We know about 1 in 200 patients get admitted to hospital following outpatient surgery, but that rate can easily vary. Outpatient surgery centers are going to continue pushing the envelope, and it is imperative that patients and physicians take control back.
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In a study recently published in The Archives of Surgery, researchers developed an outpatient surgery admission index from independent predictors of immediate hospital admission using the following point values:
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Even though I'm a perioperative nurse, my anticipation and anxiety grew last May as I walked into the DISC (Diagnostic & Interventional Spinal Care) in Marina del Rey, CA, for a posterior stabilization with instrumentation procedure of my lower back (L4-5).
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Keeping the right people on your staff is important to any outpatient surgery program's success, and making sure that paychecks, benefits, retirement plans, and 401Ks are handled properly is essential to employee satisfaction.
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It's estimated that 5.5 million workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs or drug waste at their worksites, ranging from manufacturing and shipment of the drug to receiving it at a hospital, storing it, delivering it to patients, and disposing of it.
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This column is inspired by the May 9, 2007, article in the Association of American Medical College (AAMC) publication that says one-third of doctors over age 50 would retire if they could.
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Knowing your outpatient surgery program well enough to answer surveyors' questions and provide necessary documentation is a responsibility that all managers accept and understand, but when the surveyor focuses on Life Safety Code issues, some managers scramble for information.
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A recent memorandum from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allows, in some situations, the use of batteries for essential electrical equipment in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in the event of a power failure.
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A set of recently added frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to tissue standards on The Joint Commission web site was developed when staff members noticed an increasing number of questions related to the tissue standards from accredited organizations rather than an increased number of recommendations for improvement related to tissue standards.