The Effect of Offloading Heels on Sacral Pressure
Publication date: September 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 3 Author(s): Sadeeka Al-Majid, Barbara Vuncanon, Nika Carlson, Cyril Rakovski Offloading a patient’s heels during supine surgical procedures is a common practice to prevent heel pressure injuries. This practice may increase sacral pressure and jeopardize sacral skin integrity, but prophylactic dressings may help protect sacral skin. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of offloading the heels and of multilayered silicone foam dressings on sacral pressure. We measured the sacral pressure of 50 healthy volunteers using a pressur...
Source: AORN Journal - September 1, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Friendly Hostiles: An Important Link to Successful Publishing
Publication date: September 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 3 Author(s): Rodney W. Hicks (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 1, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Embrace Action: Protect Your Colleagues and Family Members by Preparing for Emergencies
Publication date: September 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 3 Author(s): Nathalie Walker (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - September 1, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Picking up the Cause of the Stroke
A 62-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes was transferred to a tertiary care center from a community hospital for persistent abdominal pain and the inability to tolerate oral feedings. Before transfer, the patient underwent peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement for IV pain medications, IV fluids, and parenteral nutrition. An entry chest radiograph showed the PICC was located in a persistent left-sided superior vena cava. The tertiary physicians assumed the PICC was safe to use, and the patient began receiving nutrition and fluids through the line. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Tags: Column Source Type: research
Educational Opportunities
Learn about the latest research, best practices, and innovative ideas coming out of the surgical suite at AORN ’s annual educational conference. This premier event offers a robust program with expert speakers, hands-on training, and hundreds of contact hours. Learning will extend beyond the classroom to the exhibit hall, which will have the latest perioperative trends, surgical products, and technologies. Plus, hear from poster presenters about breakthrough ideas, actions, and evidence-based research affecting perioperative nursing. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Tags: Column Source Type: research
The Effect of Offloading Heels on Sacral Pressure
Offloading a patient ’s heels during supine surgical procedures is a common practice to prevent heel pressure injuries. This practice may increase sacral pressure and jeopardize sacral skin integrity, but prophylactic dressings may help protect sacral skin. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of off loading the heels and of multilayered silicone foam dressings on sacral pressure. We measured the sacral pressure of 50 healthy volunteers using a pressure-mapping system under four conditions: heels not offloaded and sacral dressing applied, heels offloaded and dressing applied, heels not offloaded and no ...
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Sadeeka Al-Majid, Barbara Vuncanon, Nika Carlson, Cyril Rakovski Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Back to Basics: Pneumatic Tourniquet Use
Pneumatic tourniquets are commonly used in surgeries involving the limbs to achieve a nearly bloodless surgery and an optimal operating field or when administering regional anesthesia during surgery on a limb. Complications can arise from the use of tourniquets, including nerve injuries, pain, compartment syndrome, pressure injuries, chemical burns, and tissue necrosis. More serious injuries—including deep vein thrombosis, thermal damage to tissues, severe ischemic injuries, and rhabdomyolysis—also can occur. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Lisa Spruce Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
An Integrative Review of the Hands-Free Technique in the OR
Sharps injury rates are proportionally higher in perioperative areas than in other practice settings. The hands-free technique (HFT) has been shown to decrease the hazards of sharps injuries when passing sharps during surgery. We reviewed and synthesized research studies regarding compliance with the HFT and factors facilitating its use using a key word search of online databases and a secondary searc h of references. We reviewed English language studies published since 2001 regarding HFT compliance rates or related factors using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Pamela B. Linzer, Sean P. Clarke Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Professional and Regulatory Infection Control Guidelines: Collaboration to Promote Patient Safety
Professional organizations and regulatory agencies collaborate on infection prevention and control guidelines to support preventing and controlling infection in the surgical setting. More specifically, regulatory and accrediting agencies, professional associations, and advisory committees create and promote the use of evidence-based recommendations for preventing surgical site infections. Many agencies perform accreditation surveys to ensure compliance with these standards and guidelines. Perioperative personnel can use these resources to implement and sustain essential processes for infection prevention and control and to...
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Judith L. Clayton, Kimberly J. Miller Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Guideline Summary: Positioning the Patient
To provide guidance to perioperative team members for positioning patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures in the perioperative practice setting. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: AORN Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Clinical Issues —September 2017
Performing Staphylococcus aureus decolonization for urgent proceduresKey words: decolonization, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, MSSA, mupirocin.Hand hygiene before donning glovesKey words: hand hygiene, glove, personal protective equipment.Hand hygiene before skin prepKey words: hand hygiene, skin prep, sterile task, aseptic task.Scrubbing by stroke versus timed methodKey words: surgical hand rub, surgical scrub, stroke method, timed method. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Amber Wood Tags: Column Source Type: research
Improving Efficiency and Patient Experiences: The Perioperative Surgical Home Model
As a result of increasing costs, problems with insurance coverage, and lack of access, health care has become a central concern for Americans in the past decade.1 This concern has led the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services to move from separate payments to providers for services rendered to a single payment reimbursement to hospitals, providers, and others involved in the care of the surgical patient.2 This bundled payment system compels hospital personnel to evaluate their current care delivery model to optimize revenue, decrease expenses, and improve patient experiences and clinical outcomes. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Theresa Criscitelli Tags: Column Source Type: research
Guideline Implementation: Positioning the Patient
Every surgical procedure requires positioning the patient; however, all surgical positions are associated with the potential for the patient to experience a positioning injury. The locations and types of potential injuries (eg, stretching, compression, pressure injury) depend on the position. Factors that may increase the patient ’s risk for an injury are the length of the procedure and risk factors inherent to the patient (eg, weight, age, frailty). AORN’s updated “Guideline for positioning the patient” provides guidance on injury prevention practices for all surgical positions including supine, Trendelenburg, rev...
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Byron L. Burlingame Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Friendly Hostiles: An Important Link to Successful Publishing
Contributing to the body of health care knowledge to improve the delivery of care is a shared responsibility among health professionals. All clinicians have great stories and valuable experiences worthy of sharing in the form of a published article. Peer review is a critical function of scholarly publishing that subjects an author ’s work to review by others in the same field, and it is used to help validate research and ensure that manuscripts meet publication standards. For some clinicians, the task of writing a manuscript that will undergo peer review can be intimidating. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Rodney W. Hicks Tags: Column Source Type: research
Evidence appraisal of Ravikumar V, Ho AL, Pendhakar AV, Sussman ES, Chow KK, Li G. The use of vancomycin powder for surgical prophylaxis following craniotomy.
Editor ’s note: Reading research and incorporating valid research results into practice is a vital part of ensuring that perioperative nursing practice is evidence based. The AORN Research Evidence Appraisal Tools can help perioperative nurses evaluate research. There are three tools for evaluation of th e different types of evidence: the Research Evidence Appraisal Tool–Study, the Research Evidence Appraisal Tool–Summary, and the Non-Research Evidence Appraisal Tool. These tools are used to evaluate the evidence upon which AORN’s guidelines are based. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - August 31, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: George Allen Tags: Column Source Type: research
