Q&A: Tim Vanderveen Discusses Advances in IV Therapy
In this interview, Tim Vanderveen, PharmD, a consultant with ICU Medical, discusses IV therapy and its impact on patient safety.
Use New Delays to Catch Up to More Stringent USP Requirements
Because new USP <800> Hazardous Drugs—Handling in Healthcare Settings refers to the other chapters, it is considered by USP to be “informational only” until the revisions are final. The Joint Commission has said it will continue to survey hospitals to the current USP compounding chapters but will expect hospitals to meet the requirements of local AHJs, as always.
USP Delays Revised Chapters; USP <800> to be ‘Informational’ Only
USP <800> will still take effect on December 1. The Healthcare Quality and Safety team at USP explained that it would only be “informational and not compendially applicable.”
Dangerous Wrong-Route Errors With Tranexamic Acid—A Major Cause for Concern
When given intraspinally instead of a local anesthetic, tranexamic acid is a potent neurotoxin with a mortality rate of about 50% and is almost always harmful to the patient. Survivors of intraspinal tranexamic acid injection often experience seizures, permanent neurological injury, and paraplegia.
Joint Commission Offers Drug Diversion Advice, Resources Amid Growing Opioid Epidemic
The alert newsletter, Quick Safety 48, was released in the April issue of Perspectives amid statistics The Joint Commission cited from both the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the American Nurses Association, which together suggest that 10% of healthcare workers in the U.S. are abusing drugs of some sort.
Q&A: ISMP President Discusses Medication Safety
In this interview, Michael R. Cohen, RPH, MS, ScD (hon.), DPS (hon.), FASHP, founder and president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, discusses the current state of medication safety.
New Sentinel Event Alert Highlights Risks of Direct Oral Anticoagulants
According to the Joint Commission alert, direct oral anticoagulants provide ease of use for patients, but they can lead to bleeding risks that could be serious and potentially life-threatening.
How Can We Better Protect Hospital Workers From Hazardous Drugs?
NIOSH recognizes that hazardous drugs are of major concern, estimating that about 8 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to them. This figure includes pharmacy and nursing personnel, physicians, operating room personnel, environmental services workers, and shipping and receiving personnel.
Companies Work to Help Combat IV Infiltrations
Peripheral veins are the most common IV therapy line access method in both hospitals and paramedic services, as they’re generally the least invasive way to get fluids in and out of the body during therapy. By some accounts, more than 25 million patients in the United States get a PVC each year.
CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Clarified
The clarification says that physicians are encouraged to use their best judgment when prescribing opioids. In addition, the guideline is not meant to deny appropriate opioid therapy to anyone suffering from conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease.