Innovative Education With Super User Model for Complex Nursing Practice Change.

The purpose of this article was to describe the unique education method and super user model utilized to prepare for, support, and facilitate ongoing optimization of infusion pump/electronic health record integration at one integrated healthcare system in the Midwest. Although we are describing how this model was used for a specific technology project, it should be considered as an alternative for any implementation that traditionally calls for classroom education.

Using bar-code point-of-care technology for patient safety.

Patient safety, in particular, medication safety, has become a major issue for healthcare providers, payers, and patients. Medication errors occur at an alarming rate, and the majority of non-intercepted medication errors originate at the point of care when a nurse mistakenly administers a medication. The 1999 Institute of Medicine report called for increasing the use of information technology to reduce medication errors.

[Programmed debridement, combined with jet lavage in extensive hand infections].

108 patients with a distinct infection of the hand were treated according to a protocol with serial debridements in combination with jet-lavage. In 106 patients the infection could be controlled with good functional result (79%) and normal neurological findings (85%). Microbial count in different tissues showed a significant decrease during the serial debridements.

[5-year results of dia-/supracondylar femoral fractures, managed with the dynamic condylar screw].

In 118 patients with intra- and extraarticular distal femoral fractures we used open reduction and internal fixation with a dynamic condylar screw. We recorded general implant related complications in a very low percentage of patients. In evaluation of the long-term results in eighty one patients after follow-up of more than five years we found occasional pain in eighteen patients and frequent pain in two patients.

[Reducing the risk of infection by use of an unreamed intramedullary nail in open tibial fractures].

An intramedullary stabilisation with an unreamed tibial nail (UTN) was carried out in 75 patients suffering from first (n = 45) and second (n = 30) degree open fractures. In 23 cases (8 of which had a second degree and 15 a third degree open fracture) the treatment regime was changed from external fixation (EF) to an UTN. The results were compared with 112 patients with first degree open tibial fractures treated with a reamed tibial nail (RTN).

[Possibilities for the use of the basic cephalosporin cefuroxime in bone surgery. Tissue levels, effectiveness and tolerance].

In a prospective study with 725 patients we demonstrated the effectiveness and tolerability of cefuroxime as antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma surgery. The infection rates were 0.5 to 1.