You may not have heard of a “never event” before and chances are, you do not want to. The National Institute of Health or NIH defines “never events” as a subset of patient safety incidents that are both preventable and so serious that they should never occur. Events like these include performing an operation on[…]
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a serious warning over the use of Abiomed’s left-sided Impella heart pumps, which can perforate the heart and have already been implicated in 49 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Although the FDA is not mandating a product recall, it has put forth what is known as[…]
Have you ever had to stay home from work for a few days because of a nasty stomach bug that really knocked you off your feet? Well, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus, a gastrointestinal infection that usually causes moderate symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea, is taking the[…]
March 10th through 16th marks this year’s annual National Patient Safety Awareness Week, a public health campaign that raises awareness about healthcare safety. Supported by the Center for Patient Safety (CPS) and sponsored by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, or IHI, this year’s theme is Safer Together. Safety experts at the CPS selected this year’s theme[…]
Children account for roughly 22% of the United States’ population, yet according to a new study, emergency rooms around the country are grossly underprepared to treat them during a medical crisis or serious illness. After a thorough investigation, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) discovered that only 14% of ERs nationwide obtain certifications deeming them as[…]