September 21, 2022
Surgical instruments that are of poor quality or improperly maintained can fail during procedures, an alarming occurrence that jeopardizes outcomes...
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By: Joe Paone
Published: 5/7/2021
Members of the perioperative team at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore work many challenging surgeries on very sick patients, yet can count the number of pressure injuries their patients have suffered on two hands. That’s no accident, as pressure injury prevention is a key initiative at the hospital.
After the patient is under anesthesia in the OR, nurses examine their skin and document any visible integrity concerns — a process the Hopkins team calls a “safe skin scan.” At the conclusion of surgery, the surgical team once again assesses the condition of the patient’s skin, documents the results and shares the info during verbal handoffs with recovery room nurses.
“It’s an easy process, and we can turn them around quickly,” says Ms. Myers. “The biggest challenge is that some of the smaller products get thrown away. We constantly remind our team members to make sure heel pads and armboard pads don’t get tossed in the trash.” Gel positioners that are torn from usage are discarded and reordered as part of a monthly inventory check.
Risk stratification and pressure injury prevention protocols should be exactly the same in hospitals and ASCs.
— Lee Ruotsi, MD, ABWMS, CWS-P, UHM
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