Category: Opioid Safety

Using Capnography and Recognizing Respiratory Compromise Could Save Patient Lives

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released a clinical education podcast, “Using Capnography and Recognizing Respiratory Compromise Could Save Patient Lives.”

The podcast features an interview with Jenifer Lightdale, MPH, MD who is division chief, pediatric gastroenterology and chief quality officer at the Children’s Medical Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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Only Continuous Electronic Monitoring Can Ensure Patients Receiving Opioids Are Safe

With the permission of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to release the AAMI video on how to keep patients and their families safe, “Only Continuous Electronic Monitoring Can Ensure Patients Receiving Opioids Are Safe.”

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How Nurses Can Fight The Opioid Epidemic

In this article published in the February 2018 issue of Hospital News, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discusses how nurses can fight the opioid epidemic. Mr. Wong cites resources, such as the PCA Safety Checklist, and harm reduction principles set forth in the Canadian Nurses Association paper, “Harm Reduction & Illicit Substance Use: Implications for Nursing.”

The US and Canada are both battling the opioid epidemic. As Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) writes in the article, “How Nurses Can Fight The Opioid Epidemic”:

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Preventing Avoidable Deaths

In a clinical education podcast, Frank Overdyk, MD, who is an anesthesiologist practicing in Charleston, SC, discusses preventing avoidable deaths and the costs of monitoring patients receiving opioids and the costs of not being monitored. It is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy how a particular patient will react when administered an opioid. Continuous patient monitoring, which costs just $20-$30 per day in the case of monitoring with pulse oximetry, is a small price to pay to help prevent avoidable patient deaths.

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

I recently interviewed Frank Overdyk, MD, who is an anesthesiologist practicing in Charleston, SC, about the costs of monitoring patients receiving opioids and the costs of not being monitored. Dr. Overdyk is a member of board of advisors of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety and organized the two conferences on opioid-induced respiratory depression (“OIRD”) for the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

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Opioid Safety in America

In this article, Cal Cook (Consumer Finance Investigator, ConsumerSafety.Org) discusses resources for opioid safety, including checking lawsuits involving prescription medication.

By Cal Cook (Consumer Finance Investigator, ConsumerSafety.Org) investigates and writes about consumer-focused topics including finance, scams and safety. His passion lies in exposing fraud across all industries to protect consumers.

If you’re an American reading this, you’ve probably heard over the course of the last year or two how the opioid epidemic is getting out of hand. Nearly 70,000 people overdosed in 2017, making this epidemic even more deadly than breast cancer for the year.

Not all of those deaths were directly attributable to prescription medication, but many of the victims started with pills their doctor prescribed and went on to heroin and Fentanyl once they were addicted, because the more dangerous street drugs are cheaper.

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5 Facts that Makes Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea More At-Risk for Death

Researchers have found that respiratory compromise may occur with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients receiving opioids.

Research conducted by Yamini Subramani, MD et al, “Death or near-death in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a compendium of case reports of critical complications” found 5 reasons why the risk of death is higher in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

After removing for duplicates, the researchers analyzed more than 1,000 patient cases.

# 1 Fact – Patients can have obstructive sleep apnea and not know it

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Columbia University Medical Center Webinar on Respiratory Compromise Prevention, Recognition and Intervention

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce that the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) webinar on respiratory compromise prevention, recognition and intervention is now available on the PPAHS YouTube Channel.

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3 Must View Podcasts on Reducing Opioid-Related Adverse Events

Editor’s note: In this personal message from the Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, Michael Wong invites you to listen to 3 must view podcasts on reducing opioid-related adverse events.

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

Watch and share these 3 Clinical Education Podcasts on how to reduce opioid-related adverse events.

Our podcasts feature health and safety experts on the latest recommendations and best practices:

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