Feature Channels: Patient Safety

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists firmly opposes the use of ketamine or any other sedative/hypnotic agent to chemically incapacitate someone for a law enforcement purpose and not for a legitimate medical reason. Ketamine is a potent analgesic, sedative and general anesthetic agent which can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, and can lead to confusion, agitation, delirium, and hallucinations. These effects can end in death when administered in a non-health care setting without appropriately trained medical personnel and necessary equipment.

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The Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI), a related organization of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), announced today a quality-driven initiative dedicated to further developing the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR), the largest anesthesia registry in the country. The initiative, supported by Edwards Lifesciences, represents a shared vision between AQI and Edwards to improve data collection and analysis, including new tracking and feedback of intraoperative hypotension (low blood pressure), to better inform future quality standards that can positively impact patient outcomes.

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Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ, announced it is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence AwardTM. This distinction places the academic medical center among the top 5 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians, and health systems.

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The JBR Clinical Research surgical center emphasizes its dedication to safety and quality with the receipt of accreditation from the not-for-profit American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF).

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) yesterday urged the New Hampshire Supreme Court to uphold the New Hampshire Medical Board’s decision that health care professionals using the term “anesthesiologist” must be licensed physicians and meet all the requirements to practice medicine in the state, according to an amicus curiae brief filed on behalf of ASA and the American Medical Association (AMA).

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Vanderbilt University Medical Center designed and rapidly deployed a curriculum specifically to equip nurses new to ECMO with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to provide proficient and safe care for patients receiving ECMO. The pre-COVID ECMO training proved to be an effective, resource-efficient and pragmatic solution that can be used across different types of ICUs and across institutions.

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Using an in-home portable air cleaner (PAC) can significantly reduce exposure to fine-particle air pollutants – a major risk factor for cardiovascular events in people with pre-existing heart disease, reports a pilot study in the July issue of Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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Short of cameras, there are few tools at the disposal of health care providers or loved ones to remotely monitor patient safety within hospitals and assisted living care facilities. A new system of infrared sensors, developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is able to provide real-time data while also maintaining privacy.

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Face masks are an important part of staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. But not all masks are created equal. And if you don’t wear and handle your mask properly, it won’t protect you or others around you. So which masks work—and which don’t? And how do you safely wear one? Marisa Glucoft, MPH, CIC, Director of Accreditation and Licensing, Infection Prevention and Emergency Management at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, shares what you need to know.

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AACC has issued a new guidance document detailing best practices that hospitals and other healthcare institutions should follow when running a point-of-care testing program. As point-of-care tests emerge for more and more conditions—including COVID-19—the guidance emphasizes that it is essential for laboratory professionals and clinicians to collaborate on point-of-care testing programs to ensure this testing benefits patients.

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As outpatient centers, clinics and practices gradually resume seeing patients, they look a bit different in response to COVID-19. In addition to keeping patients and staff safe, these changes are also helping make health care more convenient and accessible.

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Despite improvements in their performance over the past decade, electronic health records (EHRs) commonly used in hospitals nationwide fail to detect up to one in three potentially harmful drug interactions and other medication errors, according to scientists at University of Utah Health, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

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During COVID-19, UC San Diego Health expanded telehealth to provide patients with safe and convenient access to appointments with their health care providers. Video visits expanded by more than 50-fold.

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Despite facing challenges such as limited access to PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak, radiation oncology clinics quickly implemented safety enhancements that allowed them to continue caring for cancer patients, according to a new national survey from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). All 222 physician leaders in the survey collected April 16-30 said their practices continued to provide radiation therapy, yet 85% also reported declines in patient visits, and by an average of one-third.

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Clinicians and researchers from the University of Michigan have published two proof-of-concept papers on new negative pressure environment devices that protect health care workers while treating patients with COVID-19.

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Rush University Medical Center, one of the nation's most highly rated hospitals for quality and safety, has taken a series of innovative measures that strategically balance patient needs with science and safety as it resumes normal operations.

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Six of Los Angeles County’s largest nonprofit health systems with hospitals, clinics and care facilities across the region have come together united in a mission to encourage community members to put health first and access care when needed.

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