Dr. Enrico Storti is the Anesthesia and ICU Director/Unit Coordinator of the Emergency Department at Maggiore Hospital in Lodi, Italy, near Milan. Lodi was hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dr. Storti is on the frontlines treating patients and helping to contain the outbreak.
ICU Management & Practice
Robert Arntfield, MD
In this article published in ICU Management & Practice, Dr. Robert Arntfield discusses transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) training and development of a TEE clinical program, including the feasibility and impact on the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. With a 97% success rate in answering high-stakes clinical questions in critically ill patients, Dr. Arntfield shares a case study on the clinical use of TEE and how the ACEP guidelines report that TEE “Provides the logical solution to these limitations, given its ability for continuous image acquisition both during compressions and during pulse checks, its reliably excellent image quality and its lack of interference with chest compressions or other procedures needed during cardiac arrest.” Please read Dr. Arntfield’s article to learn from about ACEP’s TEE guidelines and how to develop a program at your hospital.
DOTMed HealthCareBusiness News
Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS
Dr. Philip Corvo serves as chairman of the Stanley J. Dudrick Department Surgery and Director of Surgical Critical Care at Saint Mary's Hospital, Trinity Health Of New England, located in Waterbury, Connecticut. He leads an innovative ERAS (Enhanced Recovery after Surgery) program which is helping reduce opioid use, speeding patient recovery and reducing costs. DOTMed interviewed Dr. Corvo about the program he leads, in which he discusses the financial impact of ERAS, how to establish an ERAS program, and patient success stories.
OR Today Magazine
Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS, and Wesley Knauft, MD
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a paradigm shift in perioperative care that can benefit both hospitals and their patients. In this article published in OR Today by Philip Corvo, MD, MA, FACS, and Wesley Knauft, MD, they share a case study about their experience at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Trinity Health Of New England, a 347-bed acute care community teaching hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, regarding the clinical and financial benefits of an ERAS program that includes Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia (UGRA). Since the October 2015 launch of their opioid-sparing ERAS program, there have been striking improvements in the safety and quality of care for patients undergoing colorectal surgery, along with substantial reductions in costs, complications, and opioid usage. Learn more about their specific results, including the millions of dollars saved and the quality measure achievements.
HealthManagement.org
Nidhi Nikhanj, MD
Obtaining vascular access is one of the most common procedures performed in U.S. hospitals, with more than 5 million central venous catheterizations (CVCs) performed annually (Feller-Klopman 2007). Nearly 80% of critical care patients undergo CVC (Gibbs; Murphy 2006) for administration of fluids, blood products, or vasoactive drugs; hemodynamic monitoring; hemodialysis or transvenous pacing during an inpatient stay (Sisson; Nagdev 2007). To learn how to reduce complications, such as central line associated blood stream infections, with placing a CVC and achieve the one-stick standard, please read the article by Dr. Nidhi Nikhanj from the March 2019 Issue of HealthManagement.org.
Becker's Hospital Review
Jennifer R. Marin, MD, MSc
With the end of summer and children heading back to school and organized athletics, there will inevitably be injuries that may require a trip to the local hospital emergency room and clinicians need to be prepared. This article by Dr. Jennifer Marin discusses ten important applications for ultrasound used at the point-of-care to diagnose medical issues in pediatrics. Dr. Marin also discusses the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently published its first policy statement endorsing the use of ultrasound at the point-of-care by pediatric emergency medicine. Ultrasound is an ideal diagnostic procedure for children whose smaller body size facilitates sound-wave penetration and resolution to generate images. Please read Dr. Marin’s article to learn more.
Anesthesiology News
Alexis LaPietra, DO
With the opioid epidemic ever present in US hospitals, emergency physicians working with anesthesiologists to manage pain in the ED setting are on the front lines of this urgent public health crisis. Alexis LaPietra, DO, a medical director for pain management in the emergency department of St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, shares some key takeaways and lessons learned when developing and implementing a formal program focused on novel alternatives to opioid prescriptions for pain. The ALTOSM (Alternatives To Opioids) program uses alternatives such as nitrous oxide, trigger point injections, Lidoderm patches, anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants and ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, whenever possible, for appropriate patients to manage their pain in the emergency department. Read Dr. LaPietra’s article to learn more about how a program such as ALTOSM can be successful in your hospital.
Axis Imaging News
Diku Mandavia, MD, FACEP, FRCPC, Chief Medical Officer at FUJIFILM Sonosite
Vascular access is one of the most commonly performed procedures in U.S. hospitals as up to 70% of patients require a peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter during their stay. Each year, 200 million PIV catheterizations are performed. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recommended in a 2016 policy statement that procedural ultrasound be utilized to facilitate access. In this article, Dr. Mandavia discusses patient safety improvements that are achieved in vascular access with "the one-stick standard."
HealthCare Business News
Anthony Moretti MD, MBA and Diku Mandavia MD, FACEP, FRCPC
Physicians face unique challenges when treating the pediatric patient population. In this article, Dr. Anthony Moretti, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Adventist Health White Memorial, and Dr. Diku Mandavia, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at FUJIFILM Medical USA and FUJIFILM Sonosite Inc, discuss the technology that helps to provide solutions for these challenges.
Anesthesiology News
Edward R. Mariano, MD, MAS
Con la creciente preocupación con respecto a la epidemia de opiacios en los Estados Unidos, el Dr. Edward Mariano, Jefe del Servicio de Anestesia y Cuidados Perioperatorios del Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System y Profesor del Departmento de Anestesiología, Perioperatorio y Medicina del Dolor de la Stanford University School of Medicine describe una serie de estrategias para el éxito de los hospitales al iniciar un programa de medicina para el dolor agudo. Iniciar un programa de medicamentos para el dolor agudo puede agregar un valor significativo a un hospital a través de un mejor control del dolor postoperatorio, una recuperación más rápida, una disminución de los efectos secundarios y una mayor satisfacción del paciente. El artículo publicado recientemente por el Dr. Mariano en una edición especial de Anesthesiology News muestra a los hospitales sobre cómo comenzar con un modelo de Perioperative Surgical Home, que incluye el uso de guía por ecografía al realizar técnicas de anestesia regional y tener éxito. Lea este artículo para obtener más información y vea el video asociado: