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Retained items in surgery are a constant risk in the OR, and there still is no perfect solution. The best strategy is to combine more than one prevention method and tailor the effort to the particular type of surgery, experts say.
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A benchmarking report on some of the major causes of surgical malpractice cases has provided information that hospital quality managers and risk managers can use to improve performance and reduce adverse events.
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There is an interesting thing happening, seemingly nationwide. Outpatient surgery is off way off! Some centers are reporting as much as a 23% decrease over last year.
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Geriatric patients can present a host of challenges in outpatient surgery.
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A pregnant woman exhibiting bleeding caused by placenta previa was hospitalized. Twelve days later, while walking to the bathroom, the woman experienced a massive hemorrhage, resulting in the premature birth of her twins. The hospital staff allegedly failed to adequately monitor the mother and confine her to bed, a necessity for women suffering from placenta previa. The resulting injuries to one of the infants have required multiple surgeries and rehabilitative sessions throughout her life, and she suffers from a continual debilitating condition.
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A scoring system designed to provide an early warning of patients who may need prompt care has helped a hospital decrease its code blue calls outside the intensive care unit (ICU) by 50% and increase rapid response team (RRT) calls by 110%.
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Health care facilities are being confronted with steadily increasing rates of crime, including assault, rape and murder, according to a new report from The Joint Commission (TJC) in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Providers must devote more attention to protecting patients, visitors, and staff from violence, the report says.
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An elderly woman was allegedly abused by employees at a nursing home. The woman's family repeatedly complained to management, who failed to investigate the issue. After more than a year of unaddressed complaints, the family installed a hidden camera in the room. Footage from the camera reveals multiple instances of staff abuse. A jury verdict was awarded in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $7.75 million.
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Quality and safety can be improved by providing special training to nurses and then making them the bedside champion for best practices, says Liz Carlton, RN, MSN, CCRN, director of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance at the University of Kansas Hospital (KUMED) in Kansas City, KS.
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Violence can be reduced in hospitals only by addressing the issue head on, says Tony Kubica, a founding partner of Kubica Laforest Consulting in Warwick, RI, and formerly a hospital executive in charge of security.
