Guarding Against Common Hospital Errors

Guarding Against Common Hospital Errors

Hospital patients potentially face an assortment of medical complications, but you can be proactive and guard against problems. Before your hospital visit, write down your medications, the dosage for each and when and why you take them. Also list the dates and reasons for all previous surgeries/procedures.Most important, don’t be afraid to challenge medical staff and ask questions. Experts say to never give up responsibility for your own health. WebMD advises how to deal with the six most common hospital complications.

1. Medication errors: To prevent getting the wrong medicine or dosage, ask the health worker what a medication is and why you need it before taking it. Make sure the nurse checks your ID bracelet against the name on the prescription.
2. Hospital-acquired infections: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that, on any given day, approximately 1 in 25 U.S. hospital patients acquires at least one infection while in the hospital. Hospitals are full of nasty bacteria or viruses, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a type of staph infection that's resistant to many antibiotics. To lower your risk, ask your doctor whether you'll get antibiotics before and after surgery. After surgery, don't let people touch you until you have seen them wash their hands.
3. Pneumonia: Pneumonia is the third most common hospital-acquired infection (after urinary tract and wound infections). To clear secretions in your lungs, breathe deeply.
4. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): Surgery significantly increases your risks of DVT, which is a blood clot, typically deep in the veins of the leg. If the clot breaks free and travels through the bloodstream, it can get lodged in the arteries of the lungs, cutting off the blood's supply of oxygen. This complication, called a pulmonary embolism, can be fatal. Fortunately, careful use of blood thinners can slash the risk of DVT without increasing your risk of bleeding. Because studies have shown that these precautions are often ignored, you should always ask about them. As soon as you are able, you can start moving around—stretching or walking—to reduce your risk of DVT.
5. Bleeding after surgery: You can help prevent uncontrolled bleeding by providing a list, before your surgery, of every medication you take—vitamins, supplements and homeopathic medication. Common medicines—like the painkillers aspirin and ibuprofen— can thin your blood, increasing the risk of bleeding. If you forget and take one of these drugs, say something, because a simple blood test can check if your blood is too thin for surgery. Also mention if you've ever had excessive bleeding, even for something minor, like the removal of wisdom teeth.
6. Anesthesia complications: Take precautions by meeting with your anesthesiology team to discuss your options. Go over the benefits and risks of local, regional and full general anesthesia.

From Senior Spirit newsletter, April2015Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at FreeDigitalPhotos.net