AORN journal
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A project was undertaken to establish the safety of hospital blankets warmed at different temperatures in a warming cabinet. Three volunteers were covered with unheated blankets, blankets warmed to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), and blankets warmed to 150 degrees F (66 degrees C). ⋯ No participants perceived overheating or burning at any temperature. Perceived warmth and comfort increased with the initial temperature of the blanket.
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Inadvertent hypothermia can have significant consequences in the perioperative setting. Knowing how to recognize and manage inadvertent hypothermia is an important aspect of perioperative nursing. ⋯ In addition, nurses identified a plethora of factors that prevent them from maintaining normothermia in their patients. These factors mandate a need for educational interventions and the adoption of practice guidelines in the clinical area.
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Resource management in hospitals is of increasing importance in today's global economy. Traditional accounting systems have become inadequate for managing hospital resources and accurately determining service costs. ⋯ Obtaining costs that are more accurate can enable hospitals to analyze and interpret costing decisions and make more accurate budgeting decisions. Traditional and activity-based costing approaches were compared using a cost analysis of gall bladder surgeries in the general surgery department of one university hospital in Manisa, Turkey.
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Emergence delirium is a condition that can affect all segments of the postoperative population, but is seen most often in pediatric and older adult patients. Most cases of emergence delirium resolve quickly and without incident; however, severe episodes may lead to increased incidence of injury to both patients and staff members and increased costs. To minimize the incidence of emergence delirium and treat it when it occurs, perioperative nurses must be aware of the risk factors that contribute to this condition, including the patient's age, type of anesthesia, anxiety level, level of postoperative pain, and preexisting medical conditions.
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Care requirements differ for individual patients in the heart failure continuum of care. Few tools exist that enable the bedside nurse to assess the cardiac surgical patient effectively. ⋯ Of 1,971 patients studied, 294 had adverse outcomes. Data indicated that any cluster of the characteristics was intensified when emergency status was added.