Surgeons from Texas Children's Hospital to present at National Surgery Quality Improvement Program meeting

HOUSTON, July 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Physicians and researchers from the Department of Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston will present studies during the annual American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) conference, held July 26 through 29 in New York. Dr. Howard Epps, academic medical director of pediatric orthopedic surgery at Texas Children's, will present his study regarding preoperative antibiotic use on July 27. Dr. Andrew Jea, pediatric neurosurgeon and director of the Neuro-Spine Program at Texas Children's, along with Sheila Ryan, director of the neurosurgery clinical research program, will present on reducing pediatric spine surgery infections on July 28. For more information about surgery at Texas Children's visit texaschildrens.org/surgery.

Orthopedic surgery study: Preoperative antibiotic use

Epps' presentation will address the results of a study which investigated the need for a standardized process for antibiotic use preoperatively. Additionally, the research team's goal was to establish a way that antibiotics could be given more consistently prior to surgery and more effectively dosed during a specific time frame which would optimize the efficacy of the antibiotics.

"Antibiotics are critical for preventing surgical site infections and there was a real need for a standardized process for how they are administered to pediatric surgical patients," says Epps, who is also an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. "With our changes, we were able to significantly improve the percentage of antibiotics that were given during the optimal time window before surgery and as a result, combined with other ongoing quality improvement projects, we will hopefully lower our surgical site infection rate further."  

Neurosurgery study: Reducing pediatric spine surgery infections

Jea's study, one of the first of its kind for pediatric spine surgery, shows dramatic results in the reduction of postoperative pediatric spine infections after institution of a standardized protocol.

"These results will not only help improve patient safety and the quality of care delivered to post spine surgery patients, but will undoubtedly reduce medical cost for patients who acquire these preventable complications," says Jea, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor.

This study will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

ACS NSQIP® national conference

World-renowned experts will convene at this annual conference to discuss and apply the most recent knowledge pertaining to national and local quality initiatives in the field of surgery. The conference will also assist hospitals in managing, analyzing and interpreting ACS NSQIP® data by providing education on proven methods that will empower hospitals to make a positive impact at their facility.

The goals of this conference are in line with what Texas Children's has been focusing on for the past few years in establishing a clinically driven data management strategy focused on understanding  the hospital's performance and improving quality, outcomes and efficiency. 

About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created the nation's first HMO for children, has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that's channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Contact: Elizabeth Shackouls
832-824-2108
[email protected] 

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital