Monthly Archives: August 2018

  Today's Top Story Study measures probability of glove perforation during orthopaedic surgery maneuvers Undetected microperforations in surgical gloves may occur during a variety of surgical maneuvers, according to findings from a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. Four investigators performed six high-risk maneuvers in a simulated laboratory setting and assessed perforation rates. They detected 14.3 percent of perforations. Tear rates were highest while cleaning drill bit flutes by hand (85 percent). [...]

  Today's Top Story Study: Methylprednisolone use for pain management after TKA A meta-analysis published in the September issue of the International Journal of Surgery found that methylprednisolone may be safe and effective in relieving postoperative pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Researchers conducted a literature review and identified four randomized, controlled trials that included 248 patients. Participants received methylprednisolone or placebo following surgery. Those who received methylprednisolone reported significantly lower postoperative pain scores at six (weighted mean [...]

  Today's Top Story Senators introduce bill to protect patients with preexisting conditions Last week, 10 Senate Republicans proposed a bill that would prevent insurers from discriminating against beneficiaries with preexisting conditions. The introduction of the Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act comes after several states signed onto a lawsuit that argues the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional following Congress’ decision to repeal the law's penalty for those who choose not to purchase insurance. Senate Republicans [...]

As part of our effort to address the opioid issue, we are making available to you information that you can share with your patients and their families at the time prescriptions are written.  We have this information on our web site under the "opioid" tab. For patients, we have information on how to safely dispose of unused prescriptions (opioids and other pharmaceticals) at home; in addition, we're working with the West Virginia Retailers Association and the West Virginia [...]

WVOS members met on Friday, August 24, at The Greenbrier for the Summer Board and Membership Meeting.  Among other topics discussed were the 2019 Spring Break Meeting, a new program to help patients understand how to safely dispose of unused prescription medications and a $25 dues increase for 2019, with the option to automatically pay dues on an annual basis. In addition, we had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with both Senator Joe Manchin [...]

  Today's Top Story Study identifies possible risk factors for limited knee function following ACL surgery A long-term cohort study published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that some risk factors for inferior knee function after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction may be modifiable. Researchers used prospectively collected data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register to identify 874 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between January 2005 and December 2006. Patient- and surgery-related risk factors [...]

  Today's Top Story Study: Delaying surgery on fractured hip may be costly, increase hospital LOS A population-based, propensity-matched cohort study published in the Aug. 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery found that delaying hip fracture surgery for more than 24 hours after arrival at the emergency department increased medical costs and hospital length of stay (LOS). Data were collected for 42,230 patients who underwent hip fracture surgery performed by 522 different surgeons at [...]

  Today's Top Story Study examines upper-extremity surgery in young patients with cerebral palsy Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) may benefit from upper-extremity surgery, according to a clinical cohort study published in the Aug. 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Researchers assessed 39 patients (mean age, 14.9 years) who underwent the surgery between July 2011 and May 2017: 87 percent had unilateral CP, and 72 percent were Manual Ability Classification System Level [...]

  Today's Top Story CMS asks insurers to make health data more accessible Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma called on health insurance companies to make claims information more accessible. Speaking at the White House Blue Button 2.0 Developer Conference, Ms Verma said, “We’re at the beginning of the digital health revolution; we have the ability to take that data and unleash it.” She emphasized that CMS is “very serious” about insurance companies sharing [...]