Cover Story

Concerns about air quality in the OR during surgical procedures have been around for a long time. In fact, the first documentation that particulate matter in surgical smoke can be inhaled and deposited in the alveoli of the lungs occurred in 1975.

The opioid crisis is one of the greatest health threats facing Americans today. Between 1999 and 2017, 218,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2017 alone, opioid overdoses took the lives of more than...

Recent advances in medical technology make it easier to envision the OR of the future. Advances in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and robotic assisted surgery devices (RASDs) are all expected to shape the future of surgery.

Antimicrobial agents are critical to destroying or severely inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Since antibiotics are given preoperatively in hospital operating rooms and ambulatory surgery centers as part of SSI prevention, it’s critical for hospitals and ASCs to create an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP).

Perioperative services is one of the most interconnected units in a hospital, so inefficient flow of patients through the perioperative area can cause disruptions that ripple throughout the entire organization. In this article, experts share tips on how to streamline the process.

Teamwork within a health care facility is key to achieving the goal of delivering exceptional patient care and achieving high levels of patient satisfaction.