AORN journal
-
Scalpel injuries can expose surgeons, nurses, and other OR personnel to bloodborne pathogens. Direct and indirect costs of managing exposure include time spent reporting, treating, and following up on the injuries; salaries and benefits for injured staff members; laboratory testing of exposure sources and exposed personnel; and postexposure prophylaxis. Standard precautions, training and awareness for those at risk, the use of neutral passing zones, and safety-engineered devices have helped decrease the incidence of injury for specific categories of sharps. One new safety device is a hand piece that uses electrosurgical plasma induced with pulsed radio-frequency energy to cut tissue.
-
Surgical patients have an increased risk for hyperglycemia and its subsequent complications, such as increased risk of infection, morbidity and mortality, and length of stay. Interventional studies indicate that tight glycemic control with intensive insulin therapy improves outcomes. ⋯ Perioperative nurses must be prepared to implement measures to control hyperglycemic for patients with and without diabetes throughout the perioperative process. Perioperative nurses should participate in multidisciplinary efforts to develop evidenced-based glycemic control protocols.
-
Controlled Clinical Trial
Treatment of cutaneous abscesses without postoperative dressing changes.
Treating cutaneous abscesses in children traditionally involves incision and drainage followed by moist dressing changes. This article addresses whether abscesses can safely heal with incision and drainage alone and daily warm water immersion. Sixteen children with cutaneous abscesses were treated without dressing changes. ⋯ There was one abscess recurrence. In comparison, among 19 children with cutaneous abscesses who received postoperative dressing changes, seven (37%) had significant pain, six (32%) required IV pain medications, and 11 (58%) were hospitalized. We determined that cutaneous abscesses may be treated with incision and drainage alone, thus avoiding pain and hospitalization for the patient.