Noisy Operating Rooms May Jeopardize Patient Safety

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Background noise in the operating room -- such as the sounds of surgical equipment, chatter or music -- can affect surgeons' ability to understand what is being said to them and might result in a breakdown of communication among surgical team members, according to a new study.

This is particularly worrisome since miscommunication is cited as a common reason for medical errors that could have been prevented, the study authors said. Surgeons have critical conversations during operations, and information on medications, dosing and blood supply could sound similar. The researchers emphasize that clear communication during surgical procedures is essential to ensure the safety of patients.

The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

"The operating room is a very fast-paced, high-demand, all-senses-running-on-all-cylinders type of environment," study co-author Dr. Matthew Bush, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, in Lexington, said in a journal news release. "To minimize errors of communication, it is essential that we consider very carefully the listening environment we are promoting in the operating room."

The researchers gave an example of a possible miscommunication: A request for heparin might be heard as "Hespan," an entirely different drug.

In conducting the study, the researchers simulated a noise environment similar to the noise levels found in an operating room. Fifteen surgeons with between one and 30 years of experience were tested on their ability to understand and repeat words under four different conditions: quiet, noise filtered through a surgical mask, background noise without music and background noise with music.

The surgeons were tested while performing a specific surgical task as well as when they were not engaged in a task.

Noise interfered with the surgeon's speech comprehension when the words spoken to them were unpredictable, the study showed. This interference with speech comprehension was worse when there was noise in the operating room.

Background music also impaired the surgeons' ability to understand what was said to them while they were performing a surgical task.

The researchers concluded that background noise in operating rooms could impair surgeons' ability to process what they hear, particularly when music is being played. The situation becomes even more problematic when surgical teams are trying to communicate critical and unpredictable information.

"Our main goal is to increase awareness that operating room noise does affect communication and that we should foster the best environment in which we can communicate better," Bush said. "This effort means that the surgical team needs to work diligently to create the safest environment possible, and that step may mean either turning the music off or down, or limiting background conversations or other things in the environment that could lead to communication errors and medical mistakes."

The researchers plan to continue their research on a larger scale and also examine the effects of operating room noise on anesthesiologists, nurses and surgeons who are hearing impaired.

"I think it's important to demonstrate the effect of environmental operating noise on communication on a variety of different players in the operating room setting," Bush said. "Another step from here is to not only see how noise affects our understanding of speech, but how it affects our tasks and how it affects our ability to perform surgical procedures efficiently and effectively."

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Surgeons, news release, May 10, 2013

View the original article here

Shorter Shifts for Medical Interns May Not Boost Patient Safety

Title: Shorter Shifts for Medical Interns May Not Boost Patient Safety
Category: Health News
Created: 3/25/2013 4:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

View the original article here

New Guidelines Raise Safety Bar on Concussions

If head trauma is suspected, health care professional should determine it is safe to return to play, recommendations say

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Any athlete who suffers a suspected concussion should be withdrawn from play and stay on the sidelines until a qualified health care professional determines that all symptoms have subsided and it is safe to return to the field, new guidelines state.

Issued by the American Academy of Neurology, the latest recommendations aim to keep young athletes as safe as possible.

"With the older guidelines, we were trying to rate concussions at the time of the injury and predict recovery times, but now we know, 'When in doubt, sit 'em out,'" said guideline co-author Dr. Christopher Giza, an associate professor of pediatric neurology and neurosurgery with the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Mattel Children's Hospital.

"The point is that no single quick test is really a litmus test for a concussion," he said. "We know now that we need to make sure a player has had a thorough and proper evaluation, involving a symptoms checklist, a standardized assessment and balance and cognitive testing, before being returned to play. This evaluation has to be done on a case-by-case basis, so each person goes through an individualized recovery process."

Giza and his colleagues reported the new guidelines in the March 18 online issue of the journal Neurology.

According to the academy, upwards of 1 million professional and amateur U.S. athletes suffer a concussion every year.

The new guidelines were issued following a thorough look at all the available concussion research through June 2012.

Among the conclusions: experiencing a concussion raises the risk for experiencing a second, and perhaps more debilitating, one. That risk was found to be highest in the 10 days following the initial injury.

One expert said the new guidelines are needed.

"One of the big problems is that we have a culture within many sports that still encourages young people to play through the pain, including head pain," said Dr. Gail Rosseau, a clinical assistant professor in the department of neurosurgery at the Northshore University Health System in Chicago.

"But one of the most important things we now know is that until those who have had one concussion are fully recovered they are more likely to have a second concussion," Rosseau said. "The stories we hear that are horrific to every parent and every coach is the child who gets a concussion and goes back to play too soon, and gets a second one with devastating consequences."

Just how devastating it can be was outlined earlier this year in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, which detailed the harrowing double-concussion experience of Indiana high school student Cody Lehe. Resuming football too soon after an initial concussion, Lehe suffered a second concussion. Severe brain injury ensued, leaving Lehe mentally impaired and largely wheelchair-bound.

View the original article here

Health Tip: Teach Kids In-Line Skating Safety

Title: Health Tip: Teach Kids In-Line Skating Safety
Category: Health News
Created: 3/8/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/8/2013 12:00:00 AM

View the original article here

Harry Styles requests extra security amid safety concerns

One Direction star Harry Styles has requested extra security ahead of the US leg of the band’s tour, amid concerns over his safety.

Continue reading...

View the original article here

Kids’ Summer Sun Safety: Sunscreen, Clothes, Hats, and More

Brush up on your knowledge of sunscreen and sun protection for infants through middle school-aged kids.

Lazy days at the pool or beach are warm weather rituals for many families. But if you're tempted to let your child play outdoors for even a few minutes without the proper sun protection, you’re taking an unhealthy risk.

"It only takes one severe sunburn to potentially double your child's chances of getting melanoma later in life," says Andrea Cambio, MD, FAAD, a board-certified pediatric dermatologist. "We really need to buckle down and protect our young."

Remember how much you marveled at your baby's smooth skin? Don't let the sun destroy that beautiful canvas. Ultraviolet sunlight damages the skin and can lead to wrinkles and cancers later on. There is no such thing as a healthy tan; a tan is a sign of sun damage.

Always put sunscreen on your child before going outside. Make a fun game out of it. Teach your child to spell BEENS to help you remember to cover often-forgotten spots: Back of knees, Ears, Eye area, Neck, and Scalp.

Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Then reapply every 2 hours, or sooner if your child has been swimming. Water-resistant sunscreen wears off -- check the label to see how soon you'll need to reapply.

If your child attends school or daycare, make sure teachers are told to apply sunscreen before any outdoor activities.

Can't decide which sunscreen is best for your child? Cambio and pediatrician Jerome A. Paulson, MD, FAAP, medical director for national and global affairs at the Child Health Advocacy Institute of Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., shared some child-friendly recommendations.

Their No. 1 tip: Choose a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide because the compounds are less irritating than others and do not get absorbed into the skin. "These ingredients are probably the safest ones out there right now," Paulson says.

There is some concern that other sunscreen ingredients, particularly oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate (a form of vitamin A), may cause harm. However, both chemicals are FDA approved for use in sunscreens.

Other tips:

Opt for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.Make sure it's labeled "broad spectrum," which means it blocks both UVA and UVB sunlight.Let your child choose a colored or scented sunscreen. Nix this idea if your child has sensitive skin or an allergic skin disorder, such as eczema.Sunscreen sticks are best for the face because they are less likely to drip.Cambio likes spray-on sunscreens for kids because they are easy to apply. Cover your child's face while spraying, or have him make a funny face or hold his breath for five seconds.

View the original article here

American Energy Works: Tanker Safety Officer

Janet DeCastro of Polar Tankers wanted a life at sea, so she entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. One of the requirements for cadets was to go to sea for a year on a commercial vessel, and DeCastro’s assignment was aboard an oil tanker.

The experience has become a 24-year professional career – and is one of 9.2 million jobs supported by the oil and natural gas industry. In the video below, DeCastro talks about the ships on which she serves, and the role she plays ensuring safe delivery of oil and protection of the environment:

Visit American Energy Works.org for more videos and more stories from the people of the oil and natural gas industry, who are at work for America.

View the original article here