Letter from the Editor
Site Verification Enthusiasts (are you out there?) Score!
May 2003
Readers discussed site verification, and at the time the April issue went to press, we became aware of a JCAHO ruling which seemed to indicate that site verification is now a mandatory practice in the cath lab. (Editor's Note, May 20: This no longer appears to be the case. Please visit the JCAHO website for the latest ruling on site verification). Most cath lab veterans shook their heads in disbelief that such a practice would ever be necessary. A few shared experiences of recent discussions with JCAHO surveyors, where recommendations were made despite well-honed arguments. There was a definite need for clarification, and CLD contacted JCAHO to find the answer. Site verification yea or nay? Dr. Richard Croteau, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, responded, and you can read what he has to say regarding site verification in the cath lab on page 40.
Ever become so focused on what you’re doing that you don’t realize your body is in a painful position? Ever want to keep that lead apron on forever because it’s so comfy? Marsha Holton, Staff Educator at the Washington Adventist Hospital Cath Lab, shares the results of her foray into ergonomics, which she defines as adapting the WORKPLACE to the WORKER, not the other way around.
The FDA approval of the Cordis Cypher drug-eluting stent (DES) has been widely anticipated. Our CME/CEU activity this month focuses on the financial viability of DES. An expert panel of authors argues that facilities should return to pre-DES profit levels within two years.
Non-invasive closure device the SyvekPatch received some close attention at a Harvard symposium in February 2003. Author Joshua Hirsch summarizes the presented research on the clinical efficacy and hemostatic mechanism of the material that makes up the SyvekPatch, poly-N-Acetyl glucosamine (pGlcNAc).
Knowledge is the one thing no one can ever take from you.
Rebecca Yospyn
Managing Editor
cathlabdigest@aol.com
NULL
