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AORN revamps retained objects guidelines

Surgical items are mistakenly left inside a patient 4,500 to 6,000 times a year, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), which is updating its guidelines for avoiding that error.

Concurrent surgeries now limited in MA

The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine recently approved a rule to regulate the practice of physicians performing procedures on more than one patient at a time.

Staff disciplined, investigations launched when patient ejected after discharge

A Florida hospital is under investigation and has reassigned three staff members who were involved with an incident in which a patient was removed from the facility against her will and then died outside the hospital.

Frontline safety issues are not always heard by hospital and health system leaders

When hospital leaders conduct safety rounds at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System in Baltimore, MD, they don’t rely on just friendly chat and a checklist of policies and procedures.

Malpractice can begin at the front desk with simple errors by admissions staff

Seemingly simple errors at the front desk can have devastating effects on patient safety and may expose the hospital to litigation that is more damaging than malpractice lawsuits, warns a lawyer who has studied the issue.

Accidental phone call creates HIPAA quandary for employees

The typical requests for patient information are easy to understand for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, but staff members will face unusual situations that test their confidence and prompt them to play it safe by not disclosing.

Denying Release of PHI can be a HIPAA Violation

For 20 years now, risk managers have drilled into their staffs the importance of HIPAA compliance. But has that message been oversold?

Failure to clear airway in a timely manner leads to permanent brain damage, $20 million plus verdict

News: In 2005, a woman entered a hospital with an existing infection in her mouth. Physicians determined that the woman needed an emergency tracheostomy to ensure no blockage to her airway would occur during treatment. The tracheostomy was successful, and her infection was treated with antibiotics. On the sixth day of her hospital stay, after her infection had subsided, her sister, a visiting guest, called for help because the tracheostomy location was bleeding and the breathing tube and blood were blocking the patient’s airway. The nurses did not have experience with tracheostomy tubes, and eventually an anesthesiologist cleared her airway, but the patient suffered brain damage from the lack of oxygen to her brain during the time her airway was obstructed. The brain damage resulted in the woman being disabled, unable to control the muscle functions of her body, confined to a wheelchair, and being in need of the care of others for the rest of her life. The woman filed a medical negligence claim against the hospital, and she alleged the hospital was negligent for the acts of employees that resulted in the tracheostomy tube obstructing her breathing and the employees’ failure to clear her airway in a timely manner. The hospital argued that the sister manipulated the tracheostomy tube, which caused the tracheostomy tube to be out of position and thus caused the ensuing injuries. The jury agreed with the woman and found the hospital was negligent for allowing the woman’s airway to be blocked and thus causing the brain injury that occurred before her airway was unobstructed. The jury awarded the woman more than $20 million in damages. It was determined the woman was entitled to approximately $1.7 million for past emotional distress and medical expenses; $4.5 million for disfigurement and loss of normal life; and more than $14 million for future medical expenses, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. In a lawsuit that lasted nearly a decade, the woman died the day prior to the jury verdict being reached in her favor, and her estate will receive the proceeds of the award.

Undiagnosed bacterial meningitis in infant results in brain damage, verdict in excess of $10 million

News: In 2009, an 11-month-old >male went to the emergency depart-ment of a children’s hospital showing symptoms of a fever and a respiratory infection. The attending physician diagnosed the infection and sent him home. The infant returned to the same hospital the following day with an increased fever and an abnormal respiratory rate and heartbeat. The hospital treated the infant for bronchitis, and his condition improved before he was released the same day. The infant returned to the hospital a third day in a row and waited 90 minutes before he was seen by a physician. The physician ordered tests that revealed the boy was suffering from bacterial meningitis. Three hours after the test was ordered, the infant was administered antibiotics to treat the meningitis. However, by the time the bacterial meningitis was under control, the infant had suffered brain damage.

University of Rochester Medical Center settles after HIPAA breaches

After a data breach, the University of Rochester Medical Center announced a settlement, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, JD, announced recently.