Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of using restraints in a medical setting?
What is the primary purpose of using restraints in a medical setting?
What type of restraint is commonly used to prevent elderly patients from falling off wheelchairs?
What type of restraint is commonly used to prevent elderly patients from falling off wheelchairs?
What is the main difference between physical and chemical restraints?
What is the main difference between physical and chemical restraints?
When is a doctor's prescription usually required for the use of restraints?
When is a doctor's prescription usually required for the use of restraints?
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What is a potential consequence of using restraints on a patient?
What is a potential consequence of using restraints on a patient?
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What is the purpose of using boxing glove or mittens restraints?
What is the purpose of using boxing glove or mittens restraints?
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Why should a patient's right to move freely be taken into account when using restraints?
Why should a patient's right to move freely be taken into account when using restraints?
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What should be done when applying boxing glove or mittens restraints?
What should be done when applying boxing glove or mittens restraints?
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Why are restraints usually considered the last resort?
Why are restraints usually considered the last resort?
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In what situation may a doctor's prescription be obtained later, after the initial use of restraints?
In what situation may a doctor's prescription be obtained later, after the initial use of restraints?
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Study Notes
Safety Needs (Biological Safety)
- Patient safety is a fundamental principle in healthcare, and measures must be taken to prevent adverse events.
- Adverse events can result from problems in practice, products, procedures, or systems.
- Statistics show that 1 in 10 patients are harmed while receiving hospital care in developed countries, and the risk is even higher in African regions.
Objectives
- Define safety and its importance in healthcare institutions.
- State differences between safety and quality.
- Describe measures to ensure patient safety in hospitals.
Safety
- Sense the error (S)
- Act to prevent it (A)
- Follow safety guidelines (F)
- Enquire into accidents or deaths (E)
- Take appropriate remedial measures (T)
- Your responsibility (Y)
Terminology related to Safety
- Error: Failure to complete a planned action or using a wrong plan to achieve an aim.
- Medico-legal hazard: A threat to the safety of all persons within a healthcare setting.
- Safety: Care that minimizes harm to patients and providers through system effectiveness and individual performance.
- Adverse events: Injuries resulting from medical interventions.
- Patient safety: Free from harm while receiving healthcare services.
Goals of Patient Safety
- Improve patient identification accuracy.
- Improve communication among caregivers.
- Improve medication safety.
- Reduce healthcare-associated infections.
- Prevent patient falls and pressure sores.
- Identify patients at risk, such as those with mental health issues.
Medication Safety
- Write medications and prescriptions legibly and in ink.
- Avoid using abbreviations without agreement among medical, nursing, pharmacy, and medical records staff.
- Pharmacists should dispense drugs as per original prescriptions.
- Principle of Patient Safety (5Ps):
- Right Drugs
- Right Patient
- Right Dose
- Right Route
- Right Time
Surgical Safety
- Obtain written and signed consent from patients or relatives.
- Properly identify patients using ID bands.
- Mark body parts to be operated on.
- Conduct pre-anesthetic checks.
- Ensure no foreign bodies are left inside post-operation.
Safety Measures
- Use surgical safety standard operating procedures pre-formatted in all operations.
- Check safety codes if available.
- Regularly check and maintain equipment.
- Train nurses and technical staff.
- Use human factors engineering principles to prevent harm.
Electrical Safety
- Use safety fuses with each equipment.
- Avoid loose wires or connections.
- Properly plug and fix equipment.
- Have fire-proof materials and fire extinguishers in all buildings and exit entrances marked.
Blood Safety
- Standardize operating procedures for withdrawing blood specimens.
- Properly handle and label blood specimen tubes with patient details.
Infection Control
- Segregate and transport biomedical wastes-infectious materials properly.
- Sanitize and maintain hygiene in all hospital departments to avoid cross-infection.
- Practice sterile procedures always.
- Form a hospital infection control committee to investigate and control hospital infections.
Factors Affecting Safety
- Age and development
- Lifestyle
- Mobility and health status
- Sensory-perceptual alterations
- Cognitive awareness
- Emotional state
- Ability to communicate
- Safety awareness
Prevention of Patient Falls
- Orientate patients to their surroundings and explain the calling system.
- Assess clients' ability to walk and provide walking aids if needed.
- Supervise clients at risk for falls, especially at night.
- Place bedside tables and over bed tables near the bed/chair.
- Keep hospital beds at a lower position/level and lock wheels when providing care.
Environment Safety
- Ensure adequate lighting, ventilation, and stair handrails.
- Prevent water logging in bathrooms.
- Use call bell systems for patients.
- Maintain privacy with bed screens.
- Ensure safe wheelchairs and trolleys.
Moving and Lifting of Patients
- Assess patients' ability to mobilize and help.
- Explain procedures to patients and give clear instructions.
- Reassure and encourage patients.
- Do not lift patients unaided except in emergencies.
- Use available aids to help move patients.
Restraints
- Use protective devices to limit patient physical activities or immobilize extremities.
- Types of restraints: physical (e.g., belt, wrist, boxing glove, and finger restraints) and chemical (e.g., antipsychotics and sedatives).
- Obtain a doctor's prescription for restraints.
- Use restraints only when necessary and as a last resort.
- Consider the patient's right to move freely.
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Description
This quiz covers the importance of patient safety, causes of adverse events, and statistics on patient harm in hospitals.
