Using Lean Six Sigma to Decrease Delivery Time of Blood Products to the Operating Room.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a process improvement strategy used in many industries. Its goal is to improve performance and quality by eliminating waste, optimizing flow, and reducing variability. This article describes LSS methods and their application in health care. We detail a successful quality improvement (QI) initiative in which we tested LSS tools to evaluate and enhance our institution's blood product delivery to the operating room (OR). Incorporating LSS-driven changes resulted in a revised workflow, which decreased personnel workload and significantly reduced delivery time. We hope this article will encourage other health care institutions to integrate LSS strategies into their workflows.

Management of Near-Complete Airway Obstruction Caused by a Vallecular Cyst in an Infant Using a Tongue Tip Traction Suture.

Airway obstruction in infants can be because of a number of airway issues, one of which is a vallecular cyst. Although uncommonly seen, the management strategy for this difficult airway can be applied to many other difficult airway cases. We report the use of a preoperative oral fiberoptic assessment of the airway, use of a tongue stitch, and manipulation of a flexible nasal fiberoptic bronchoscope to secure the airway. Keeping the patient breathing spontaneously with low-dose ketamine also facilitated successful tracheal intubation.