Together we’ll create the best environment for patient care
In Australia, 2016 was marred with the events which occurred at Bankstown Hospital (see here). More deaths have occurred because of accidental hospital gas pipeline cross-overs. (To read about cases click on each image box below): In Australia, 2016 was marred with the events which occurred at Bankstown Hospital (see […]
The Between the Flags (BTF) system is a ‘safety net’ for patients who are cared for in NSW public hospitals and health care facilities. It is designed to protect these patients from deteriorating unnoticed and to ensure they receive appropriate care if they do. The BTF program addresses the Australian […]
A Cochrane review published in August 2015 (see here) found no evidence to support the routine changing of peripheral intravenous cannulae every 3 to 4 days. Healthcare facilities should consider a policy whereby catheters are changed only if clinically indicated. The implications of this for reducing unnecessary workload on the […]
(Please note EZDrugID is an external initiative) What is EZDrug ID? EZDrugID is a global campaign to improve the safety of medication packaging initiated by a multi-professional group of healthcare workers. Petitions to the relevant regulatory bodies to implement changes to drug packaging have been established in Australia, New Zealand, […]
Electrical dental drills heat up as they start to wear with time. This has lead to many reports of facial burns. The drill may not feel hot to the dentist – the burn being a product of time, pressure and temperature. Healthcare can persist with it’s usual response to this: […]
Ruby Yan Chen, a 3 year old from Queensland, died from an avoidable air embolus (see here). The process of disconnecting a valveless intravenous fluid bag allowed air to enter it. When the bag was later re-connected (re-spiked) the air passed through the intravenous line and into Ruby’s circulation leading […]
Immediate availability of a box of Sugammadex in every theatre anaesthetic trolley offers an increased level of patient safety. Cost is often used as an excuse by many departments for not doing this however several economic trials have demonstrated that the increased patient safety it affords actually leads to decreased […]
Indistinct chlorhexidine (circled) is easily mistaken for colourless solutions. There’s no need for these indistinct solutions and safer distinct versions and those enclosed in swab sticks are already in use in many hospitals without problem and at no extra cost. Watch ‘Gina’s Story’ to see how arterial injection resulted in leg […]