RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES
Maximising operating theatre utilisation
Dr. Thomas Ramolla describes how operating theatre management software has delivered increased efficiency, maximised utilisation and aligned communication, at one of the largest hospitals in Germany.- Feature
Improving outcomes through screening
Anaemia and MSSA continue to impact outcomes in patients undergoing hip and knee surgeries. A national initiative is currently underway to drive improvement through pre-screening and optimisation of patients. Louise Frampton reports.- Feature
Surgical staff safety: going up in smoke?
A survey has shown that over two-thirds of operating theatres staff are concerned about the effects of surgical smoke on their health.- Feature
Infection prevention in the era of COVID-19
How will theatre infection prevention strategies need to adapt to a new era, following the pandemic? Kate Woodhead, RGN DMS, considers best practice as elective surgery resumes.- Feature
Tackling variation in day case surgery
There are now around 200 procedures identified as being suitable for day case surgery. However there is still variation between Trusts in terms of day case rates & studies suggest that more patients could be sent home on the same day as their surgery- Feature
Surgical fires must become ‘Never Event'
The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) along with a coalition of patient safety focused organisations are calling for more to be done to prevent surgical fires.- Feature
Anaemia and thrombosis in COVID patients
The global healthcare community recently came together to discuss the latest findings from the Coronavirus pandemic on COVID-19’s effect on haemoglobin and oxygen carrying capacity, as well as coagulation and thrombosis management.- Feature
Role of POC CRP during the pandemic
Being able to streamline local healthcare and reduce unnecessary A&E and hospital admissions for frail and vulnerable patients has never been more relevant in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.- Feature
Mobile unit boosts reprocessing capacity
In 2019, mobile medical unit provider EMS Healthcare announced the launch of the UK’s largest mobile decontamination unit, in partnership with Cantel (UK).- Feature
What COVID has taught us about theatre safety
With COVID-19 lockdown measures beginning to ease, Gemma Rower discusses how hospitals can maintain a safe operating theatre during the global pandemic – protecting the perioperative team and patients.- Feature
Basildon Trust cuts cardiac arrests by 75%
An NHS Trust has reduced cardiac arrests by more than three quarters since it went live with an early warning system. The Trust is now redesigning clinical pathways using the same solution to spot potentially fatal conditions including AKI and sepsis- Feature
Changing clinical practice in VTE prevention
Dr. Indira Natarajan, a consultant stroke physician, highlights the burden of VTE on stroke aftercare and offers an insight into a pilot study evaluating the use of neuromuscular electrostimulation on the hospital’s stroke unit.- Feature
Driving England’s fight to eliminate Hepatitis C
Professor Steve Ryder, Chair of the Hepatitis C Coalition, is calling on those involved in the patient pathway to find the estimated 50% of people with chronic hepatitis C who are unaware, as well as those who have been tested but remain untreated.- Feature
Next steps for improving CVD outcomes
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally; more people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause. So, how can the NHS do more to improve outcomes and tackle the risk factors?- Feature
Transforming radiology services
Investment in the latest radiology technologies is important to support pioneering treatments, while ageing equipment also exposes patients to higher levels of radiation.- Feature
Ensuring effective testing: five ways to ‘fail
As the steam steriliser is a critical part of decontamination, verification of the machine’s ability to penetrate steam into a load is vital to ensure patient safety.- Feature
Revisiting enhanced recovery pathways
Kate Woodhead RGN DMS discusses the key principles of enhanced recovery, the current progress in adoption and how the principles are now evolving- Feature
Balancing efficacy with material compatibility
As decontamination units and SSDs restart services in the post-COVID era, decontamination consultant, Trevor Garcia, looks at some of the issues impacting on the selection of detergents and disinfectants for use in washer-disinfectors (WDs).- Feature
The road to recovery for the NHS
The NHS faces a slow road to recovery and the Government must manage expectations to retain public confidence, the NHS Confederation has warned. A new report outlines key recommendations to help healthcare services recover.- Feature
The power of data in the operating theatre
IoT technology could modernise operating theatres, from isolated workspaces to being part of an active collaborative support system.- Feature
