Introduction In the healthcare industry, quality control is a non-negotiable priority. Institutions are in constant pursuit of methods that can enhance the quality of patient care. One such method gaining
Introduction to the CPHQ Exam The Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is a comprehensive assessment for individuals who aspire to demonstrate their expertise and professionalism in healthcare quality
Central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections are challenging hospital-acquired infections that occur in an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 patients annually in the United States, (1) have a 10%–30% mortality rate, and
If you practice inpatient medicine and insert central venous catheters, you have likely heard the term central line bundle but were not sure what the bundle was exactly. A bundle
Medical tapes are an afterthought for most healthcare providers. However, they can be a point of pain and injury for patients. Knowing the difference between the medical tapes available can
Once you have finished inserting a central venous catheter, it’s time to document your hard work. Clear documentation of the procedure, techniques used, and potential challenges related to central line
Ketamine has seen an explosion in use as part of a multimodal analgesic regime as well as for treating chronic pain and depression. While generally regarded as safe, there are
Medications are vital for patients undergoing surgery, but they can also pose risks if not given correctly. The medical literature is frighteningly sparse on medication errors in the operating room.
The most nerve-racking step of central line placement for the inexperienced practitioner is accessing the vein. My preferred way to safely access the vein for central line placement is to
What are Medication-Related Errors? Medication errors are defined as preventable events that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. In the vast majority of scenarios, they
The Optimal Depth to Insert a Central Venous Catheter Don’t make it harder than it should be. There are two key points to keep in mind for patient safety regarding
By convention, peripheral IV catheters are sized in gauge, and central venous catheters (CVCs) are sized in French. This table compares French sizing to gauges for catheters with flow rates.
The exsanguinating patient, it’s a problem we don’t want to experience and can be found all over healthcare. It can be the ED trauma patient, the OB with a placenta
Have you gone into your email to find an old message to complete a critical task only to find yourself an hour later reading some of a well-written, interesting article
Depending on your role in your healthcare organization, you likely have a different comfort level with analytics. As a clinician who is growing as a patient safety professional, I needed
The choice of central line insertion location has an outsized impact on a number of quality metrics related to central line safety. Outside of the surgical specialties, the use of
Rapid Central Vein Assessment (RaCeVA) is a systematic, standardized approach for ultrasound assessment before central venous catheterization. Ultrasound use for central line placement not only provides superior procedural advantages but
I wasn’t familiar with the term “double-stick” when I went through my anesthesia residency. Although we did the typical “big cases” and trauma, we did not routinely place two central
This is the place to start if you want to know what type of central venous catheter your patient needs. The first step of central venous catheter placement is confirming
If you have ever tried to place an IV or use an angiocatheter to access the vein for a central line, you familiar with the experience of a “dry thread.”
