Ponla, Nia Lyn P.

4-A UPDATES IN PERIOPERATIVE NURSING

Most octogenarians do well after valve surgery Octogenarians fare well after heart surgery, with those sent home after surgery doing better than those discharged to general care facilities. "Based on our study results, I strongly recommend that these patients recover at home and not in a facility, which may have very limited professional resources such as staff nutritionists and physical and occupational therapists," Linda Henry, RN, PhD, the studys lead investigator, said in a news release. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120903/OR02/309030029 Delirium linked to cognitive trouble in heart patients Postoperative delirium may be linked to prolonged loss of cognitive function in cardiac surgery patients, according to a study.The findings suggest interventions to prevent delirium in advance of surgery could help cardiac patients avoid long-term cognitive consequences, according to researchers with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Aging Brain Center at Hebrew SeniorLife. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120708/OR02/307080013 Study: Skin infection history increases risk of SSIs People with a past history of even a single skin infection may be three times more likely to develop a surgical site infection when they have an operation, according to new research.The increased risk suggests underlying biological differences in the way individuals respond to skin cuts that need to be better understood to prevent SSIs, said researchers with Johns Hopkins University. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120603/OR02/306030038 RNs report use of expandable rod to treat scoliosis Two young patients with progressive early-onset scoliosis were the first in North America to be offered treatment with an expandable magnetic rod, according to case reports in the AORN Journal. The reports highlight the use of the magnetic growing rod as a new treatment option that does not require multiple hospital admissions with repeated general anesthetics for either noninvasive or invasive surgical procedures. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120811/OR02/308110023

Smoking leads to higher costs after elective surgery Cigarette smoking contributes to significantly higher hospital costs for smokers undergoing elective general surgery, according to a study. When researchers analyzed data on more than 14,000 patients, they found that postoperative respiratory complications help drive up these costs. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120529/OR02/305290019

Antibiotics can minimize MRSA after airway surgery

A screening and antibiotic treatment regimen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in children undergoing open airway surgery may be helpful in minimizing MRSA-associated postoperative infections in these patients, according to a report. MRSA infection in open airway procedures can be a "devastating complication," so the development and use of a screening and treatment antibiotic protocol is essential to proactively manage the care of this vulnerable population, the authors wrote as background information in the study, which appears in the February issue of Archives of Otlaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120221/OR02/302210029 Antibiotics often effective in place of appendectomy Giving antibiotics to patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis is a safe and viable alternative to surgery, according to an analysis. team of researchers at the Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centers NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in the United Kingdom set out to compare the safety and efficacy of antibiotic therapy as an initial treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis. They analyzed the results of four randomized controlled trials involving 900 adult patients diagnosed with the condition. A total of 470 patients received antibiotics, and 430 underwent surgery. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120407/OR02/304070039 Community-onset CDI more likely to lead to colectomy Patients whose symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection start outside the hospital setting have a higher risk of colectomy from severe infection, according to a large, multicenter study. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120404/OR02/304040038 Study: Bariatric surgery lowers risk of MI, stroke Among obese individuals, having bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced long-term incidence of cardiovascular deaths and events such as myocardial infarction and stroke, according to a study. Most epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular events and death. "Weight loss might protect against cardiovascular events, but solid evidence is lacking," the authors wrote as background information in the article, which appears in the Jan. 4 issue of JAMA. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120104/OR02/301040006 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass superior to banding in study Compared to gastric banding in obese patients, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is associated with more rapid and more sustained weight loss, according to a study. Sebastien Romy, MD, of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland, and colleagues noted that although Roux-en-Y gastric bypass triggers higher early morbidity, there are more long-term complications and re-operations after gastric banding."At the present time, RYGBP seems clearly superior to GB when treating morbidly obese patients, who should be informed accordingly," they wrote. Source: http://news.nurse.com/article/20120116/OR02/301160008