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Questions and Answers
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 is the main difference between physical and chemical 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?
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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?
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What should be done when applying boxing glove or mittens restraints?
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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?
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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.
