Tag: John LaChance

Two Key TakeAways from New American Pain Society Guideline for Post-Surgical Pain Management

By the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS)

The American Pain Society (APS) recently released Clinical Practice Guideline for Post-Surgical Pain Management sets forth recommendations from an interdisciplinary expert panel. The APS commissioned the panel which received input from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the guideline was approved by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management (ASRA).

Roger Chou, MD, lead author and head of the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center, says that the guideline targets at all clinicians involved with post-surgical pain:

The intent of the guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations for better management of postoperative pain, and the target audience is all clinicians who manage pain resulting from surgery,

Here are two key takeaways from the 32 recommendations: Continue reading “Two Key TakeAways from New American Pain Society Guideline for Post-Surgical Pain Management” →

Detecting Harm to Prevent Adverse Events and Death

In a recent study led by David C. Stockwell, MD, MBA (Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, The George Washington University; Center for Quality and Improvement Science, Children’s National Medical Center), researchers looked at whether using a trigger tool would identify the most common causes of harm in pediatric inpatient environments. Continue reading “Detecting Harm to Prevent Adverse Events and Death” →

Patient Safety Advocate Patricia LaChance Knode Joins Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Advisory Board

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety announced today that patient safety advocate Patricia LaChance Knode has joined the Physician-Patient Alliance Board of Advisors. Continue reading “Patient Safety Advocate Patricia LaChance Knode Joins Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Advisory Board” →

Physician-Patient Alliance Recommends Continuous Respiratory Monitoring of All Patients Receiving Opioids

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety today issued the following statement encouraging the continuous electronic monitoring of all patients receiving opioids:

To improve patient safety and save patients’ lives, we recommend adopting continuous respiratory monitoring of all patients receiving opioids with pulse oximetry for oxygenation and with capnography for adequacy of ventilation to improve timely recognition of respiratory depression, decompensation or clinical deterioration.

Continue reading “Physician-Patient Alliance Recommends Continuous Respiratory Monitoring of All Patients Receiving Opioids” →

Top 10 Opioid Safety Articles in 2014

Of the more than 125 articles we posted in 2014, below are 10 of the most read and most discussed articles on opioid safety (order is by publication date).

As you read through these articles, please ask yourself – has a new standard of care been established requiring continuous electronic monitoring by hospitals of all patients receiving opioids? Continue reading “Top 10 Opioid Safety Articles in 2014” →

What Puts More Than Half a Million Lives at Risk Each Year and Costs the US Healthcare System $7.8 Billion Annually?

Join the newest Physician-Patient Alliance Initiative to Reduce the Risk of Respiratory Compromise and Save Lives. By simply signifying your support for reducing the risk of Respiratory Compromise and for saving the lives of patients, you can help ensure changes are made. Continue reading “What Puts More Than Half a Million Lives at Risk Each Year and Costs the US Healthcare System $7.8 Billion Annually?” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Oct 24, 2014)

It’s National Healthcare Quality Week and National Respiratory Care Week!

However, according to Pascal metrics, there is no reason to celebrate. Studies show that a third of patients are harmed in U.S. hospitals and the consequent financial burden of this harm may run to over $100 billion annually. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Oct 24, 2014)” →

Sleep Apnea + Opioids = Post-Surgical Preventable Death

[Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Doctor Weighs In. The team at Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety thank Pat for her tremendous courage and working with us on this tragic story of what happened to her husband. We hope that in this retelling, hospitals will be encouraged to ensure that similar events become “never events”.] Continue reading “Sleep Apnea + Opioids = Post-Surgical Preventable Death” →

Open Letter for Patient Safety and Use of Continuous Electronic Monitoring

In the story, “Hypoxia After Surgery Much More Common Than Previously Believed — Study finds high rate of prolonged bouts of desaturation on wards” (Anesthesiology News, March), Daniel Sessler, MD (Michael Cudahy Professor & Chair, Department of Outcomes Research, The Cleveland Clinic; Director, Outcomes Research Consortium) who helped conduct the study, described its results as “sobering.” Continue reading “Open Letter for Patient Safety and Use of Continuous Electronic Monitoring” →

Risk Stratification of Sleep Apnea Patients – A Recipe for Death?

American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines for the perioperative management of obstructive sleep apnea provide a scoring system for perioperative risk for obstructive sleep apnea – but does such stratification harm patient safety?

By Kenneth P. Rothfield, M.D., M.B.A., Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, Saint Agnes Hospital (Baltimore, MD)

The American Society of Anesthesiologists recently updated its practice guidelines for the perioperative management of obstructive sleep apnea (published February 2014). Continue reading “Risk Stratification of Sleep Apnea Patients – A Recipe for Death?” →