In this podcast AAMI Foundation’s Healthcare Technology Safety Institute, Frank Overdyk, MD, professor of anesthesiology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and executive director for research at North American Partners in Anesthesia, and Tim Vanderveen, vice president of CareFusion’s Center for Safety and Clinical Excellence, make the case for continuous electronic monitoring and address the challenges stakeholders face in trying to bring about this change. Continue reading “Podcast on Continuous Electronic Monitoring”
Tag: opioid
Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Jan 30, 2015)
At a conference, clinicians were arguing about the use of technology – some wanted to use it, others wanted to wait until something better came along. The latter group was willing to risk ore adverse events and deaths, while “waiting” it out … although one wonders if they would feel this way if the life of a loved one was on the line …
We think we should make the best use of what we have and save lives now.
To improve patient safety, perhaps we just need to get smarter. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Jan 30, 2015)”
Two Practices to Adopt After Pediatric Opioid Trial Halted
By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)
With more than 500,000 pediatric tonsillectomies performed each year in the United States, removal of tonsils is one of the most common surgeries performed on children. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, tonsillectomy is performed 20 percent for infection and 80 percent for obstructive sleep apnea. Continue reading “Two Practices to Adopt After Pediatric Opioid Trial Halted”
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.
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”
Lessons Learned from a Survey Assessing Nurses’ Awareness and Perceptions of Opioids and the Impact of Postsurgical Pain Management Medication Interventions
[Editor’s note: Amy Smalarz led the survey research. Lynn Razzano assisted with the article writing, but was not involved with the design, conduct, or analysis of the survey.]
By Amy Smalarz PhD, MHA (President and Co-Founder, Strategic Market Insight) and Lynn Razzano RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)
Postsurgical pain management with opioids is tricky business. Not only do you have to think about which medication delivery interventions to use (PCA IV opioids, continuous wound infiltration, continuous epidural or femoral nerve block to name a few), but you must consider the type and amount of medication, then responsibly monitor the patient effectively. We know all too well about the dangers and challenges of ensuring the effectiveness of the medication as well as the safety of the patients; for example, The Joint Commission issued Sentinel Event Alert #49 and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices recently issued yet another Medication Safety Alert. Continue reading “Lessons Learned from a Survey Assessing Nurses’ Awareness and Perceptions of Opioids and the Impact of Postsurgical Pain Management Medication Interventions”
Physician-Patient Alliance Encouraged by First Meeting of National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety described the inaugural meeting of the National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids as a major step forward in the path to eliminate respiratory comprise, the second-most frequently occurring preventable patient safety issue in the United States.
Patient Stories Shared at First Meeting of National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety today released the patient stories it shared at the inaugural meeting of the National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids.
“We hope that the adverse events and deaths of patients who have suffered opioid-induced respiratory compromise may serve as inspiration to encourage the adoption of continuous electronic monitoring of all patients receiving opioids,” said Physician-Patient Alliance Executive Director and Founder Michael Wong, JD. Continue reading “Patient Stories Shared at First Meeting of National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids”
Campaign to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids
The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety enthusiastically applauds the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Foundation’s newly launched campaign to promote continuous monitoring of all patients receiving opioid analgesics to manage their pain. Continue reading “Campaign to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids”
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”