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Volume 10, Issue 4 | April 2010
Safer Care for Patients with Tracheostomies
To establish access to a patient's airway, health care providers often perform a tracheostomy. This is a procedure in which an artificial opening is made in the wall of the patient's trachea. The procedure allows for a direct airway and offers the ability to clear secretions from the lower airways through suctioning. Tracheostomies can make it easier for patients to breath, speak, and swallow; allow for greater patient mobility; facilitate the removal of secretions; and help wean patients off mechanical ventilation. As with any other invasive procedure, however, some risks are associated with the process.
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Joint Commission Releases New Sentinel Event Alert
Managing Infection Prevention and Control in Ambulatory Care
The term infection prevention and control can conjure images of clinicians locked in combat against harmful organisms. But it actually refers to a multifaceted set of processes within a health care organization that are often mundane–but essential. Ambulatory care organizations may approach these processes using methods and practices that are tailored to their unique needs. Effective infection prevention and control requires a team approach, according to an expert in the field, Kathleen Richmond, M.S., R.N., Infection Control Coordinator for the ACCESS Community Health Network in Chicago.
Systematic Screenings Crucial in Preventing Patient Suicides
Routine procedure for admitting patients to the hospital includes questioning them about their physical health history such as hypertension and heart conditions. Mental health experts are working to ensure that health care providers include questions about a patient’s psychological well-being. In 2006, The Joint Commission began including measures to assess patients for suicide in its National Patient Safety Goals. Patient suicide is the second most common sentinel event occurring in U.S. hospitals. The majority of these patients were admitted for psychiatric disorders, but many of them were medical patients.