Presacral mass in the setting of an ovarian cyst and abdominal pain.

Tailgut cysts, also known as retrorectal hamartomas, are very rare neoplasms located in the presacral/retrorectal space that originate from the embryonic hindgut. Although a majority of lesions in this location are benign, 30% of the reported cases in the literature were found to be malignant. This report describes a case of a presacral mass found on CT of a 37-year-old woman who initially presented with worsening abdominal pain and a history of ovarian cyst rupture. This patient's clinical picture was complicated by an enlarging ovarian cyst. The risk of progression to malignancy warranted excision. She recovered well with resolution of her presenting symptoms. We report this case along with a brief review of the literature with a focus on the surgical considerations.

Hemovigilance in Massachusetts and the adoption of statewide hospital blood bank reporting using the National Healthcare Safety Network.

A collaboration that grew over time between local hemovigilance stakeholders and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) resulted in the change from a paper-based method of reporting adverse reactions and monthly transfusion activity for regulatory compliance purposes to statewide adoption of electronic reporting via the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The NHSN is a web-based surveillance system that offers the capacity to capture transfusion-related adverse events, incidents, and monthly transfusion statistics from participating facilities. Massachusetts' hospital blood banks share the data they enter into NHSN with the MDPH to satisfy reporting requirements. Users of the NHSN Hemovigilance Module adhere to specified data entry guidelines, resulting in data that are comparable and standardized. Keys to successful statewide adoption of this reporting method include the fostering of strong partnerships with local hemovigilance champions and experts, engagement of regulatory and epidemiology divisions at the state health department, the leveraging of existing relationships with hospital NHSN administrators, and the existence of a regulatory deadline for implementation. Although limitations exist, successful implementation of statewide use of the NHSN Hemovigilance Module for hospital blood bank reporting is possible. The result is standardized, actionable data at both the hospital and state level that can facilitate interfacility comparisons, benchmarking, and opportunities for practice improvement.