Category: Patient Stories

3 Risks with Managing Pain with Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pumps

According to reports made to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2005 and 2009, more than 56,000 adverse events and 700 patient deaths were linked to infusion pumps. One out of 378 post-surgical patients are harmed or die from errors related to the infusion pumps that help relieve pain after surgical procedures, such as knee or abdominal surgery.

In a recent interview, Pat Iyer, MSN, RN, LNCC, president of avoidmedicalerrors.com, Cindy and Brian Abbiehl of A Promise to Amanda Foundation, and Michael Wong, JD of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety discussed patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps and 4 risks when using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps. Continue reading “3 Risks with Managing Pain with Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pumps” →

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) Adds Voice to Physicians and Patient Advocates Warning Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pain Pumps Need Better Monitoring

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), an advocacy group devoted to improving patient health and safety, added its voice to a growing number of physicians and patient advocates warning that patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pain pumps need to be continuously electronically monitored with oximetry for oxygenation and capnography for adequacy of ventilation.

In a recent article, Everyday Health reports on one case involving a pain pump was that of 18-year old Amanda Abbiehl of Granger, Ind., who was looking forward to high school graduation when she came down with a throat infection so severe it landed her in the hospital. Her parents were relieved when a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pain pump delivering powerful opioids finally seemed to relieve their daughter’s blistering throat pain. Continue reading “Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) Adds Voice to Physicians and Patient Advocates Warning Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pain Pumps Need Better Monitoring” →

State Trooper’s Life Saved by Nurse: Why Hospitals Need a Monitoring Technological Safety Net

Retired Michigan State Police Officer, Matt Whitman, tells his story of how his life was miraculously saved by a nurse and why hospitals need a monitoring technological safety net to not rely upon miraculous interventions. 

by Matt Whitman (Retired Michigan State Police Officer, Law Enforcement Teacher, Van Buren Technology Center)

Former State Trooper Matt Whitman – “to all hospitals that care about their patients’ safety and welfare — Electronically monitor ALL your patients, not just the ones at high risk.”

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 when I stopped breathing, called a “Code Blue”, and that ultimately saved my life. I would have been just another statistic if it wasn’t for that nurse. Unfortunately, Amanda was not so lucky. Continue reading “State Trooper’s Life Saved by Nurse: Why Hospitals Need a Monitoring Technological Safety Net” →

Notre Dame class project: improving patient safety through monitoring

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. Continue reading “Notre Dame class project: improving patient safety through monitoring” →

Yes, Real-Time Monitoring Would Have Saved Leah

Lenore Alexander tells the story of her daughter Leah, whose life might have been saved had she been continuously electronically monitored.

by Lenore Alexander, active member of Mothers Against Medical Errors

“Would real-time monitoring have saved Leah?”

That is one of the many questions that I have asked myself every day since I found my daughter, Leah, dead in her hospital bed. Continue reading “Yes, Real-Time Monitoring Would Have Saved Leah” →

Monitoring can prevent errors with patient-controlled analgesia

by Laura Batz Townsend

My Mom, Louise Batz, died from a preventable medical error after recovering knee surgery. Mom went into the hospital for knee replacement surgery.

This was not emergency surgery. She had planned the surgery so she would have enough time to heal and be ready to welcome the arrival of her fourth grandchild. Continue reading “Monitoring can prevent errors with patient-controlled analgesia” →

Would Real-Time Monitoring Have Saved Leah?

Real time monitoring of the adequacy of ventilation (i.e. how much carbon dioxide a patient breathes out) could saved Leah’s life.

by Michael Wong

Real time monitoring of the adequacy of ventilation (i.e. how much carbon dioxide a patient breathes out) could save patients’ lives, recent research suggests.

Just ask Lenore Alexander, whose daughter Leah had elective surgery for pectus carinatum, a fairly common condition where the sternum protrudes forward caused by an overgrowth of cartilage. Continue reading “Would Real-Time Monitoring Have Saved Leah?” →

Ensuring child safety during common medical procedures

by Michael Wong

The safety of children could be at risk when they undergo common procedures involving sedation, such as for fracture reduction, laceration repair, and incision and drainage of an abscess.

As a recent study published in Pediatric Emergency Care found, 72% of the episodes of prolonged hypoxia were preceded by decreases in ETco2 as measured by capnography. This suggests that the use of capnography would enhance patient safety by decreasing the frequency of hypoxia during sedation in children. A capnograph is monitoring device that measures the concentration of carbon dioxide that a person breathes out in exhaled air and displays on a numerical readout and waveform tracing. (The capnograph used in this study was provided on loan by Nellcor Purtian Bennett, LLC, doing business as Covidien.) Continue reading “Ensuring child safety during common medical procedures” →

Should operating room standard of care apply outside the operating room?

by Michael Wong

What happens when the accepted standard of care in one situation is not applied in another situation?

As a recent USA Today investigation indicates, the consequences to the patient can be deadly or debilitating. As well, it can be costly for the healthcare provider and facility found liable for damages. Continue reading “Should operating room standard of care apply outside the operating room?” →