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In light of a hepatitis C virus outbreak that resulted in public health officials advising 40,000 patients to be tested, Dipak Desai, MD, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, issued the following statement on March 10, 2008:
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Do ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and other freestanding health care facilities resemble the Wild West when it comes to infection control practices? This appears to be the perception among at least some members of the infection control profession.
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How many times have you thrown up your hands in frustration and said, "Nothing pleases this surgeon! No matter what we do, it is not good enough."
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As one recent case shows, it is difficult to prevent a nurse or other health care professional under investigation in one state from moving to another state and practicing.
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While there are no quick-and-easy solutions to ensuring effective infection control practices in the ambulatory surgery setting, there are steps managers can take, say infection control experts. Consider these suggestions:
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Facilities that offer bariatric surgery need to purchase equipment that can be used safely with those patients, says Michael Silverstein, MD, MPH, clinical professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.
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Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis puts a special emphasis on educating its patients and staff about falls.
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A middle-aged male patient let's call him "Tom" showed up in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston about a year ago complaining of pains in his chest and legs.
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When patients are medically ready to leave the acute care hospital and have no coverage for post-acute care, it's a "no-brainer" for the hospital to pay to move the patient to a lower level of care, says Jay Cayner, director of social patient and family services at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.