PCA-related device events are three times as likely to result in injury or death. As Tim Ritter (Senior Patient Safety Analyst, Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority) reminds us, “Over the six-year period from June 2004 to May 2010, data collected by Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority revealed that there were approximately 4,500 reports associated with PCA pumps. Moreover, U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Manufacturer and User Device Experience (MAUDE) database demonstrates that PCA-related device events are three times as likely to result in injury or death as reports of device events involving general-purpose infusion pumps.” Continue reading “10 Reminders to Ensure Safer Use of Patient-Controlled Analgesia”
Tag: David Watson
Monitoring Technology for PCA Pumps Can Prevent Adverse Events with Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA): So Why Are Hospitals Not Using It?
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 IHI singles out is narcotics. Continue reading “Monitoring Technology for PCA Pumps Can Prevent Adverse Events with Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA): So Why Are Hospitals Not Using It?”
Can There Be Too Much FDA Oversight?
The FDA did not fulfill its oversight role when it banned the importation of capnograph products into the US.
by Michael Wong
According to Marcia Crosse (Director, Health Care at GAO), FDA’s ability to fulfill its mission to protect American health has been compromised. Continue reading “Can There Be Too Much FDA Oversight?”