Quick reference tidal volume cards reduce the incidence of large tidal volumes during surgery.

Ventilation with large tidal volumes (V ), greater than 10 ml/kg of predicted body weight (PBW), is associated with worse outcomes in critically ill and surgical patients. We hypothesized that the availability of quick reference cards with proposed V ranges specific to gender and different heights would reduce the intraoperative use of large V during prolonged abdominal surgery. We compared retrospectively the incidence of median V used during prolonged (≥4-h-long) abdominal surgery before ("before") and after ("after") the quick reference V cards were made available in all anesthesia machines in operating rooms of a single academic US medical center.

Nonelective Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: The Effect of Discharge Destination on Postdischarge Outcomes.

Background: Medicare has enacted a mandatory bundled payment program for primary total joint arthroplasty that includes nonelective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Efficient postacute care management has been identified as an opportunity to improve value for patients. We aimed to identify risk factors for and compare rates of complications by discharge destination and then use those factors to risk-stratify non-elective THA patients.

Home Discharge After Primary Elective Total Joint Arthroplasty: Postdischarge Complication Timing and Risk Factor Analysis.

Background: Bundled payment programs for primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have identified reducing nonhome discharge as a major area of cost savings. Health care providers must therefore identify, risk stratify, and appropriately care for home-discharged TJA patients. This study aimed to analyze risk factors and timing of postdischarge complications among home-discharged primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients and risk stratify them to identify those who would benefit from higher level care.

Myocardial Infarction Risk in Arthroplasty vs Arthroscopy: How Much Does Procedure Type Matter?

Background: This study aimed at assessing short-term risk of serious cardiac events after elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) as compared to a less-invasive procedure, knee arthroscopy (KA).

Methods: Patients who underwent elective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or KA from 2011 to 2014 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. A 1:1 propensity matching was used to generate 2 control cohorts of KA patients with similar characteristics.