Infograph Shows Patient Safety Concerns, Benefits of Continuous Electronic Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids

CHICAGO, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety today released an infograph on the first national survey of United States hospitals on the administration of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131024/CG03341LOGO)

The infograph can be viewed and downloaded at http://ppahs.org/2013/10/30/infographic-first-national-survey-of-patient-controlled-analgesia-practices/

According to reports made to the Food and Drug Administration between 2005 and 2009, more than 56,000 adverse events and 700 patient deaths were linked to PCA pumps. One out of 378 post-surgical patients were harmed or died from errors related to the patient-controlled pumps that help relieve pain after surgical procedures, such as knee or abdominal surgery.

Inconsistency in safety practices most likely accounts for a large proportion of adverse events and deaths associated with PCA use, says Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety.

The survey also indicates patient safety measures that hospitals can take that will reduce adverse events and save money.

Michael Wong, JD, founder and executive director of the Physician-Patient Alliance, says the survey demonstrates the benefits for continuous electronic monitoring of patients with pulse oximetry for oxygenation and capnography for adequacy of ventilation.

"All hospitals that monitored their patients," says Mr. Wong, "either said that they had reduced adverse events, costs or expenses, or that it was too early to determine or have not determined. Moreover, although such hospitals were not unanimous on whether they monitored with pulse oximetry, capnography or both, those using smart pumps with integrated capnography monitoring were almost three times more likely to have had a reduction in adverse events or a return on investment when measured against costs and expenses (including litigation costs) that might have been incurred."

A copy of the survey results is available for free on the Physician-Patient Alliance website here.

About PPAHS

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is an advocacy group devoted to improving patient health and safety. PPAHS supporters include physicians, patients, individuals, and organizations. For more information can be found at www.ppahs.org

PPAHS recently released a concise checklist that reminds caregivers of the essential steps needed to be taken to initiate Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) with a patient and to continue to assess that patient's use of PCA. For a free download of the PCA safety checklist, please visit http://www.ppahs.org

PPAHS is also developing a checklist targeting venous thromboembolism (commonly referred to as blood clots) for women having cesarean and vaginal delivery, and the extension of prophylaxis post discharge; for more on this initiative, please see http://ppahs.org/2013/05/02/preventing-death-following-cesarean-delivery/

SOURCE Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS)

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