by Pat Iyer, president of www.avoidmedicalerrors.com Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) pumps were developed to address the problem of undermedication. They are used to permit the patient to self-administer small doses of narcotics (usually Morphine, Dilaudid, Demerol, or Fentanyl) into the blood or spinal fluid at frequent intervals. PCA pumps are commonly used after surgery to provide a… [Read more…]
By Michael Wong (This article has also been published in SurgiStrategies, which can be read here.) According to its newly-updated, “How-to Guide: Prevent Harm from High-Alert Medication”, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) looked at high-alert medications, which are “more likely than other medications to be associated with harm”. One of the areas that the… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospitals (SJ/C) in Savannah, Georgia, are two of the oldest continuously operating hospitals in the US. About 10 years ago, SJ/C had three opioid-related events with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with serious outcomes over a two-year period. Fortunately, none of these adverse events resulted in deaths, says Carolyn Williams, RPh, Medication… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong This is the question that I posed to lawyers, insurers, and healthcare professionals attending a major healthcare conference, the Crittenden Medical Conference. According to the Institute of Medicine, each preventable adverse event costs about $8,750 — and this excludes potential litigation costs. Can hospitals afford to give away money? So, why do… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong Like many hospitals in North America, Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) in British Columbia was challenged with providing safe and appropriate perioperative and postoperative management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). KGH is a 345-bed tertiary hospital in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Richard Milo, RRT (Professional Practice Leader, Central Okanagan… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong According to study recently published in Anesthesiology News, Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health spent about $112,000 and saved $985,130 over a six month period. Dr. Courtney Rowan, pediatric critical care fellow at Riley Hospital, was looking at blood gas measurements. How important are blood gas measurements? Blood gases measures… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong Pain control in hospitals using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) need to be made safer. In this interview with Michael Wong of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), Tim Ritter (Senior Patient Safety Analyst at the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority) and Matthew Grissinger (Director, Error Reporting Programs at ISMP) discuss PCA pumps… [Read more…]
by Matt Whitman (Retired Michigan State Police Officer, Law Enforcement Teacher, Van Buren Technology Center) Amanda Abbiehl and I share a similar story. Both of us were on patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps to manage our pain. However, the difference is that, by the grace of God, an observant nurse who just happened to walk by my room… [Read more…]
by Peter A. Corsale (Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C.) & Michael Wong (Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) Medical standards should be set by doctors. The alternative is dangerous. While medical journals and academia may wrestle with what constitutes the standard of care, at the end of a trial the average juror, who will have… [Read more…]
by Michael Wong 18-year old Amanda Abbiehl tragically died in 2010 at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (SJRMC). The cause — a PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) pump error. As the petition filed with Indiana’s Patient Compensation Fund states: “Against her treating physician’s orders, Amanda was given a constant dose of Hydromorphone once she was connected to… [Read more…]
May 30, 2012
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