Accountable Operating Room Teams.

With Medicare reimbursement diminishing and the aging population consuming more health care, hospitals continue to push for reforms to improve the efficiency of health care delivery, decrease consumption, and elevate the quality of care. Operating rooms command a large share of hospital resources but are also major revenue generators. Surgical care has evolved to become more efficient and accountable. Defining the characteristics of an accountable operating room team has been more elusive and inconsistent. This review defines the characteristics of accountable operating room teams and recommends measures by which to evaluate them. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(4):e463-e470.].

Prevalence of Bacterial Contamination of Casting Material in a Pediatric Population.

Surgical site infection is a relatively common and devastating complication following pediatric orthopedic surgery. Many infections have been determined to be the result of settled airborne particles on surgical equipment and the sterile field. Fiberglass casts are commonly used orthopedic fixation devices before and after surgery; however, fiberglass casting material is expelled during the removal process and represents an uninvestigated area for the possibility of cast saw dust as a source of airborne bacterial contamination in an operating room setting. This study evaluates the prevalence and distribution of microbiota on 90 pediatric casts by collecting and culturing fiberglass cast material from 90 pediatric casts. Bacterial identification was performed using a Bruker Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry device. 81 out of 90 casts (90%) showed evidence of microbial contamination. Isolated species were very diverse and ranged from normal skin flora to opportunistic pathogens. The 5 most commonly isolated organisms were Acinetobacter pittii, Enterobacter cloacae, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus hominis. Further investigation is required to determine if casting material is truly a cause of surgical site infection.

Review article: Patient characteristics that act as risk factors for intraoperative complications in hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasties.

The number of annual THA's, TKA's, and TSA's is set to increase significantly by the year 2030, making it imperative to understand the risks for negative outcomes in these procedures. While research has studied the patient risk factors for perioperative and postoperative complications, there has been relatively little research for intraoperative complications. After a thorough literature review, the most supported finding was that patients with a BMI >30 had significantly more intraoperative blood loss than those with a BMI <30. All other relationships between patient risk factors and intraoperative complications of interest were inadequately studied.

A comparison of the functional health of children with Costello syndrome in 1999 and in 2015.

Costello Syndrome is a rare congenital condition characterized by failure-to-thrive, cardiac abnormalities, distinctive facial features, predisposition to malignant tumors, and developmental delay. In 1999, we analyzed the functional health in a cohort of 18 patients. Since then, a mutation in the HRAS gene has been found to be causative, medical management has been refined, and the level of awareness has increased. The purpose of this study is to compare the functional health outcomes from the 1999 cohort with data prospectively collected from a comparable cohort in 2015. The Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) was administered to parents of children with Costello syndrome during the 2015 International Costello Syndrome Conference. The same instrument and setting were used in the 1999 study. We compared functional health scores from the two groups. A total of 21 participants were included in the 2015 cohort; 15 females (71%) and 6 males (29%). Average age was 5.8 years (range 2-16). When comparing functional health outcomes, we found that the 2015 cohort scored slightly higher in Upper Extremity and Physical Function (57 vs. 54) and Comfort scales (86 vs. 82). However, there was no significant difference in any of the PODCI scales between the two groups. When compared with normative scores, both groups scored significantly lower in every scale except for happiness (p = 0.2952). Despite recent advancements, functional health outcomes in 2015 were similar to those measured in a different cohort in 1999.

Costello syndrome: orthopaedic manifestations and functional health.

Sixteen individuals with Costello syndrome underwent a complete history, physical examination, and medical record review. Medical history and record review were performed for two additional children with Costello syndrome. The POSNA Functional Health Outcome Questionnaire Baseline Assessment was completed by the parents of all 18 children. All the children were below the fifth percentile for height and all had ligamentous laxity. All children demonstrated delayed walking and none was able to run. Orthopaedic problems included tight heel cords, congenital vertical talus, planovalgus feet, hip subluxation, kyphosis, scoliosis, radial head subluxation, elbow flexion deformity, reduced shoulder range of motion, and limitation of overhead activity. Foot problems were most frequently encountered. Two children had no orthopaedic symptoms. All children with Costello syndrome had poor scores on the POSNA Functional Health Outcome Questionnaire. Orthopaedic problems are a significant part of Costello syndrome, and affected individuals should be evaluated and followed-up regularly by an orthopaedic surgeon.