Tag: deep-vein thrombosis

New PPAHS Campaign Targeting Orthopedic Venous Thromboembolism

PPAHS will be beginning a new #patientsafety campaign to develop practical solutions to help assess and prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures, particularly total knee and hip replacement.  More commonly known as blood clots, VTE consists of both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE) .

In the past, we have focused on the issue of VTE regarding maternal patients and stroke patients.  In collaboration with panels of international health experts, PPAHS has developed the OB VTE Safety Recommendations and the Stroke VTE Safety Recommendations (both of which are free resources on our website).  Members of the panel included:

  • Atul Gawande, MD, MPH (Brigham and Women’s Hospital)
  • Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
  • Mark Alberts, MD, FAHA (Southwestern Medical Center)
  • Irene Katzan, MD, MS (Cleveland Clinic)
  • William M. Callaghan, MD, MPH (CDC)
  • Frank Federico, RPh (Patient Safety Advisory Group, The Joint Commission)
  • Mary D’Alton, MD (Columbia University Medical Center)

According to the CDC, VTE is estimated to affect 900,000 Americans annually.  It is a preventable, hospital-acquired condition that is responsible for 100,000 deaths each year.  The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has also issued a statement identifying venous thromboembolism as the third most prevalent factor accounting for readmission 30-days after surgery (6.3%).

Hip and knee replacement operations are among the most commonly performed procedures in the U.S. About 1 million of these procedures are performed each year (for more on prevalence, see the study by Hilal Maradit-Kremers, MD, MSc et al, “Prevalence of Total Hip (THA) and Total Knee (TKA) Arthroplasty in the United States”).  The 30-day readmission rate following hip and knee replacement is 4.3% and 3.9% respectively, with the readmission rate rising to 7.8% 90-days after surgery.

Join us in our fight to prevent orthopedic venous thromboembolism (VTE).  

Over the next few months, we will be putting together an expert patient safety panel on orthopedic VTE to advise and help answer healthcare reporters’ questions, looking for interviewees for Patient Safety Podcasts (such as the series created in collaboration with the Society of Hospital Medicine), and for guest contributions to our blog.

Preventing Blood Clots in Pregnancy: A Podcast with Maternal/Perinatal Patient Safety Expert Colleen Lee

“Preventing Blood Clots in Pregnancy” – a podcast on the heightened risk of blood clots in pregnant women, the use of simple devices like sequential compression devices to help prevent blood clots, and the role of the OB VTE Safety Recommendations – is now available at the Physician-Patient Alliance For Heath & Safety YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/1He3MLy

On iTunes, the podcast is available at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/physician-patient-alliance/id897887688?mt=2 Continue reading “Preventing Blood Clots in Pregnancy: A Podcast with Maternal/Perinatal Patient Safety Expert Colleen Lee”

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 3, 2015)

Our must reads for this week focus on 5 key tips, which if followed, could save a life.

As well, if you tweet about patient safety, a big “thank you” – see if your name appears below in our retweet shout outs. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Apr 3, 2015)”

IPC To Prevent Blood Clots in Stroke Patients Recommended at International Stroke Conference

Presenting at a standing-room-only meeting at the recent International Stroke Conference (ISC), health experts recommended shortened door-to-treatment times and the use of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in stroke patients. Continue reading “IPC To Prevent Blood Clots in Stroke Patients Recommended at International Stroke Conference”

Four simple safety steps pave the OB DVT Prevention Road

By Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC

In a recent article “Safety: 4 Ways to Stop DVT in Its Tracks”, Cheryl Marsh provides four very useful steps to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). As she writes, this is patient safety issue that needs attention: Continue reading “Four simple safety steps pave the OB DVT Prevention Road”

“No patients are low risk” when it comes to cesarean delivery and venous thromboembolism, says perinatal expert Dr. Peter Cherouny

by Sean Power
February 4, 2014

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) held on January 22, 2014 a special webinar for the Perinatal Improvement Community on safety recommendations for maternal patients. You can download the webinar recording and slides here.

The webinar featured Peter Cherouny, MD, Emeritus Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Vermont, Chair and Lead Faculty of the IHI Perinatal Improvement Community and Michael Wong, JD, Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety (PPAHS).

Maternal death rate in the USA has more than doubled in the last 25 years and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that pregnancy-related mortality is rising in the United States. Continue reading ““No patients are low risk” when it comes to cesarean delivery and venous thromboembolism, says perinatal expert Dr. Peter Cherouny”

Clinical tip: Completely preventable problems cost an average-sized hospital millions per year

By Lynn Razzano RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant)

That’s the bottom line of a report from the Healthcare Management Council (HMC). HMC analyzed federal data to identify the most common hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) as well as their annual cost per patient and the annual average cost to hospitals. Continue reading “Clinical tip: Completely preventable problems cost an average-sized hospital millions per year”