Anesthesiology
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Nerve blocks improve early pain after ambulatory shoulder surgery; impact on postdischarge outcomes is poorly described. Our objective was to measure the association between nerve blocks and health system outcomes after ambulatory shoulder surgery. ⋯ In ambulatory shoulder surgery, nerve blocks were not associated with a significant difference in adverse postoperative outcomes. Costs were statistically higher with a block, but this increase is not likely clinically relevant.
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An Automated Software Application Reduces Controlled Substance Discrepancies in Perioperative Areas.
Perioperative controlled substance diversion and tracking have received increased regulatory focus throughout the United States. The authors' institution developed and implemented an automated web-based software application for perioperative controlled substance management. The authors hypothesized that implementation of such a system reduces errors as measured by missing controlled substance medications, missing controlled substance kits (a package of multiple controlled substance medications), and missing witness signatures during kit return. ⋯ A software application that tracks perioperative controlled substance kits with deep integration into the electronic health record and pharmacy systems is associated with a decrease in management errors.