Patient harm and preventable error in orthopedic surgery

Emotional harm from disrespect: the neglected preventable harm.

To cite: Sokol-Hessner L, Folcarelli PH, Sands KEF. BMJ Qual Saf 2015;24:550–553. INTRODUCTION Consider these actual patient experiences: ▸ A patient is admitted to the hospital for a bowel obstruction from a known malignancy. She calls her cancer specialist about this complication, but he is unavailable. A covering provider reading from her file says ‘your cancer is untreatable’. This is the f...

Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic surgery.

Orthopedic surgery is a specialty of surgery dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system in all age groups. Careers in orthopedic surgery span the spectrum from general orthopedics to those of subspecialty expertise in orthopedic trauma, hand, pediatrics, total joint, foot and ankle, sports medicine, and oncology to name a few.

Orthopedic and Spine Surgery

ANESTHESIA FOR ORTHOPEDIC AND spinal surgery provides a multitude of challenges. Children often present with concomitant diseases that aff ect cardiovascular and respiratory function. Th e ability to maintain a clear airway during anesthesia is not straightforward in some of these children (e.g., those with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita).1 Operating times can be protracted. Signifi cant bl...

Sarcopenia in Orthopedic Surgery.

Sarcopenia is a loss of skeletal muscle mass in the elderly that is an independent risk factor for falls, disability, postoperative complications, and mortality. Although its cause is not completely understood, sarcopenia generally results from a complex bone-muscle interaction in the setting of chronic disease and aging. Sarcopenia cannot be diagnosed by muscle mass alone. Diagnosis requires 2...