Tag: Capnography

Case Studies in Improving Patient Safety and Health Outcomes Through Capnography

Dr. Melissa Langhan (Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine) discusses case studies to improve patient safety through capnography.

Recent deaths – comedian Joan Rivers and 17-year-old Sydney Galleger – are a reminder of the need to ensure patient safety during common medical procedures.

“When medical tragedies occur, one of the very first questions asked by patients, families, the legal system, the press, and the public is: ‘were appropriate care standards met?’,” said Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety). Continue reading “Case Studies in Improving Patient Safety and Health Outcomes Through Capnography” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety and Health Care (July 31, 2015)

On our 4th Anniversary, we thought it very fitting that the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety begin our first public appeal for funds to help us continue with our mission to improve patient safety and health care (thank you for your tweets of support – @ADR_Rocks, @lzipperer, @BioAlliances, @PatientPro1st, @ehealthmgmt).

Help us ensure all patients receiving opioids are monitored. Choose your donation amount.

Help us ensure all patients receiving #opioids are monitored #ptsafety http://bit.ly/1JRzCvY Share on X

The anniversary of Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety on July 27 will always be greeted with mixed emotions – both celebration and sadness (a shout out to those who tweeted well wishes – @Bi3PtSafety, @GetOnTopWithUs, @cardiovasc_bio, @BioAlliances, @GeratorTrdplc). Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety and Health Care (July 31, 2015)” →

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Turns 4 Years Old

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) today celebrates its fourth anniversary.

PPAHS posted its first blog on July 27, 2011, “Is it possible to survive 96-minutes without a heart beat?”.

This post featured what happened to Howard Snitzer, who suffered a heart attack outside of a grocery store in Goodhue, Minnesota. Two volunteer paramedics responded and began a 96-minute CPR marathon involving 20 others, who took turns pumping his chest. Continue reading “Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Turns 4 Years Old” →

Six Nursing Lessons: Nurse and Mother Reflects on the Untimely Death of Her Teenage Son

In an article in ADVANCE for Nurses, Pamela Parker, BSN, RN, CAPA discusses lessons that she learned on the timely death of her teenage son, Logan:

On July 23, 2007, my 17-year old son Logan died after successfully undergoing routine surgery to correct his sleep apnea. As a recovery room nurse, I have often asked myself how this could have been prevented.

By writing these six lessons I learned, I hope that other loved ones may be saved, other families spared the agony of losing a cherished member.

Continue reading “Six Nursing Lessons: Nurse and Mother Reflects on the Untimely Death of Her Teenage Son” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (July 17, 2015)

This week’s must reads in patient safety focus on monitoring, which seems fitting given our recent re-release of the podcast in honor of the fifth anniversary death of 18-year old Amanda Abbiehl. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (July 17, 2015)” →

On the Fifth Death Anniversary of Amanda Abbiehl, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Calls for Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids

To honor the life of Amanda Abbiehl, who died after being connected to a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump on July 17, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) calls for continuous electronic monitoring with pulse oximetry for oxygenation and with capnography for adequacy of ventilation. Continue reading “On the Fifth Death Anniversary of Amanda Abbiehl, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Calls for Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (July 10, 2015)

For this week’s must reads, we have two questions that we hope that you have thoughts and comments about.

1. Respiratory Compromise Prevention Exists. So Why Aren’t Hospitals Using It?
Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (July 10, 2015)” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (May 15, 2015)

Before focusing on tips to defeat alarm fatigue and for making anesthesia safer for labor and surgery, three patient stories highlight the need for assessing patients for risk of venous thromboembolism: Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (May 15, 2015)” →

Excluding Pulmonary Embolism with Capnography

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

[Editor’s note: We need a safer, more accurate, readily available diagnostic test for pulmonary embolism. Anna Hemnes, MD of Vanderbilt provides evidence that capnography may be such a test.] Continue reading “Excluding Pulmonary Embolism with Capnography” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Apr 17, 2015)

First, our apologies to Nike – we would like to use the phrases “Just Do It” and “Just Don’t Do It” to sum up this week’s must reads: Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Apr 17, 2015)” →