"Limited gallbladder surgery pro- vides new lease on life," Geriatric FOCUS, 9:7 (NO. 5) 1970.

Although the modern surgeon prefers cho- lecystectamy to cholecystatomy, there are occasions when the less radical procedure may be more beneficial to the geriatric pa- tient, his anethesia tolerance and the op- erative findings, should be considered by the surgeon before he decides which pro- cedure to use.

A study of 75 geriatric patients suffering from severe acute cholecystitis, with or with- out perforated gallbladder, underwent cho- lecystostomy without any postoperative mor- bidity. Many of them had functional deterioration of one or more vital organs, and under prolonged anesthesia might have developed a heart attack or stroke.

The two major operative findings which should guide the surgeon in choosing cho- lecystostomy instead of cholecystectomy are acute inflammation, which may be a source of troublesome bleedings and inflammatory edema which hinders proper dissection, identification and ligation of the cystic ar- tery and duct.

If the patient follows a proper post- surgical medical and dietary regimen, he should be able to anticipate 10 to 20 years of freedom from further gallbladder dis- ease.

Sr. Dolores Kane, RN, RHSJ Chicago, 111

"Sterilization improved by new mon- itoring, aeration systems," Ginsberg, Frances RN: Mod Hosp, Aug 1970, p 124.

A new monitor called "Attest" will provide a simple, rapid (24 hours for steam steril- izers and 48 hours for gas sterilizers) and economical biological monitoring system for hospitals. Central supply and opera*ing room personnel can control the monitoring and obtain quicker results.

Small color-coded, self contained cap- sules are provided with bacillus stearother- mophilus for steam sterilizers or bacillus subtilus for ETO sterilizers on a dry strip for use in gas sterilizers. In separately sealed bubbles within the capsule are media, dye, and several catalysts which

after sterilization are crushed, the bubble

broken, and strip surrounded with media.

The capsules with a unsterilized capsule for

a control are placed in a thermostatically

controlled incubator. Results can be seen

in the color changes at the end of 24 or

48 hours.

Aeration chambers reduce the required

quarantine period from several days to sev-

eral hours for ethylene oxide sterilized

loads. This will help eliminate large inven-

tories of supplies and space for holding

areas for aeration.

Nancy L Mehaffy, RN Fullerton, Calif

I I 1 . . . on a Friday, a Sunday . . . I t

"Never on Saturday" has become a theme song for the 1971 A O R N Congress. Registrants are

urged t o t ime their arrivals in Las Vegas, Nev., for either Friday, Feb 5 or Sunda, Feb 7-for

their own good, according t o the city's convention. Saturday evening is a busy one in Las Vegas,

they say, so arrival Friday or Sunday is less confur ing-and consequently better for the weary

traveler.

106 AORN Journal