Risk Reduction Strategy to Decrease Incidence of Retained Surgical Items.

BACKGROUND: Retained surgical items (RSIs) are rare but serious events associated with significant morbidity and costs. We assessed the effectiveness of radiofrequency (RF) detection technology and Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) in reducing the incidence of RSIs. STUDY DESIGN: All RSIs reported to the New York Patient Occurrence Reporting and Tracking System at five large urban teaching hospitals from 2007 to 2017 were analyzed. In 2012, TeamSTEPPS training was provided to all perioperative staff at each site, and use of RF detection became required in all procedures. The incidence of events before and after the interventions were compared using odds ratios. RESULTS: A total of 997,237 operative procedures were analyzed. After the interventions, the incidence of RSIs decreased from 11.66 to 5.80 events per 100,000 operations (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI] = 0.50 [0.32 to 0.78]). The frequency of RSIs involving RF-detectable items decreased from 5.21 to 1.35 events per 100,000 operations (OR [95% CI] = 0.26 [0.11 to 0.60]). The difference in RSIs involving non-RF-detectable surgical items was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of RSIs was significantly lower during the time period after implementing RF detection technology and after TeamSTEPPS training, primarily driven by a decrease in retained RF-detectable items. RF detection technology may be worth pursuing for hospitals looking to decrease RSI frequency. The benefit of TeamSTEPPS training alone may not result in a reduction of RSIs.

Race and insurance status outcome disparities following splenectomy in trauma patients are reduced in larger hospitals. A cross-sectional study.

Background: Splenectomy, still a commonly performed treatment for splenic injury in trauma patients, has been shown to have a high rate of complications. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors, including race and insurance status, associated with adverse outcomes post-splenectomy in trauma patients. We discuss possible explanations and methods for reducing these disparities. Methods: The American College of Surgeons - Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS-TQIP) participant user database was queried from 2010 to 2015 and patients who underwent total splenectomy were identified. All mechanisms of injury, including both blunt and penetrating trauma, were included. Patients with advance directives limiting care or aged under 18 were excluded. Propensity score matching was used to control for age, preexisting medical conditions, and the severity of the traumatic injury. A chi-squared test was used to find significant associations between available predictors and outcomes for this cross-sectional study. Results: The post-splenectomy mortality rate was 9.2% (n = 1047), 8.0% (n = 918) of patients had three or more complications, and 20.3% (n = 2315) had major complications. A primary race of white (OR 0.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.6-0.9, p < 0.01) and private insurance (OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.4-0.6, p < 0.01) were associated with lower risks of mortality A primary race of neither Black nor white (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.03-1.7, p = 0.03) and a lack of health insurance ("self-pay") (OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.3-1.9, p < 0.01) were both correlated with mortality. When limited to hospitals of 600+ beds, there were no associations between race and mortality. Conclusion: The post-splenectomy mortality rate after trauma remains high. In U.S. trauma centers, a primary race of Black and payment status of "self-pay" are associated with adverse outcomes after splenectomy following a traumatic injury. These disparities are reduced when limiting analysis to larger hospitals. Efforts to reduce disparities in outcomes among trauma patients requiring a splenectomy should focus on improving resource availability and quality in smaller hospitals.

Comparison of Endobronchial Intubation Versus Bronchial Blockade for Elective Pulmonary Lobectomy of Congenital Lung Anomalies in Small Children.

Purpose: Resection of many congenital lung lesions is commonly performed under single-lung ventilation, which helps collapse the lung being manipulated and enables a thoracoscopic approach in most cases. We set out to determine whether lung isolation achieved by either main stem intubation or usage of a bronchial blocker was associated with superior clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all patients aged <2 years undergoing elective pulmonary lobectomy for congenital lung malformations at a tertiary-care pediatric hospital from 2011 through 2020 was performed. Demographic data, diagnosis type, type of lung isolation method employed, and perioperative outcomes were recorded. Continuous variables were analyzed with Student's t-tests, whereas categorical variables were analyzed with Fisher's exact tests and chi-square tests. Results: Thirty-two patients were analyzed-17 were managed with a bronchial blocker while 15 underwent main stem intubation. The most common diagnoses were congenital pulmonary airway malformations (53.1%) and intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestrations (34.4%). Patients managed with main stem intubation were slightly younger (P = .06) than those for which a bronchial blocker was used. Thirty-one (96.9%) resections were initiated thoracoscopically. Main stem intubation was associated with shorter operative times (P = .01), shorter anesthetic times (P = .02), and less blood loss (P = .04). No differences in length of stay (P = .64), conversation to thoracotomy (P = .35), intraoperative complications (P = .23), or postoperative complications (P = .49) were observed. Conclusion: Lung isolation through main stem intubation, when compared with bronchial blockers, is associated with shorter operative time, shorter anesthetic exposure, and diminished blood loss in pediatric patients undergoing lobectomy for congenital lung anomalies.