Examples Of Postoperative Respiratory Failure

Postoperative Respiratory Failure
Hospitalizations affect a large number of the population in the United States (US). A large number of those Americans are hospitalized due to a surgical procedure that needs to be performed. Many people may suffer from postoperative complications while in the hospital that can be extremely serious or even cause death. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has established Quality Indicators (QIs) called Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs). The PSIs are used with hospital inpatient data to reflect quality of care and patient safety, primarily focusing on potential avoidable complications. The purpose of this paper is to define the purpose of the PSIs-90 and role in healthcare today. Discuss

how the PSI postoperative respiratory failure can guide the care of the patient within the healthcare environment. Discuss how the PSI postoperative respiratory failure is used to improve evidence-based care in today’s healthcare environment. Lastly, discuss how the PSI postoperative respiratory failure can be applied to current nursing practice.
Patient Safety Indicators
Today’s healthcare has become increasingly concerned with the improvement of patient safety, as well as the decrease of adverse events and complications in our hospitals.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ, n.d.) PSIs were developed to detect these potential complications that can occur within the inpatient setting, and serve as a tool to assess areas that require improvement of patient safety. These PSIs are captured through administrative data by the use of software that analyzes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). There are many ways the PSI postoperative respiratory failure can help guide the care of the patient within the healthcare organization. An example of a possible nursing opportunity to provide better care is to “evaluate opportunities to reduce incidence of postoperative respiratory failure such as protocols to increase incentive spiratory use and breathing exercises” (Zrelak et al., 2011, p. 103). In addition, proper documentation and a detailed patient assessment are always vital in providing quality of care and patient

safety.
Evidence-Based Care
Evidence-based care uses the information collected from patient feedback, administrative data and research to deliver quality of care that will result in an increased patient outcome. Postoperative respiratory failure PSI is used in today’s health care environment to improve evidence-based care by reducing potential respiratory complications. Some hospitals participate in web-based learning sessions in which teams can collaborate the patient outcomes to create specific interventions. Interventions such as incentive spirometry, improved documentation and standardized orders are implemented. Feedback is later provided in order to make any necessary changes in the patients care (Zubkoff et al., 2014). These interventions are focused on improving patient safety by reducing postoperative respiratory failure complications.
Application to Reduce Postoperative Respiratory Failure
Zrelak (2011) states that “because of the rapidity with which changes in respiratory status can occur, nurses serve a particularly important role in detecting signs of incipient respiratory failure, such as increased work of breathing, hypoventilation, and/or hypoxia” (p.106).
Reducing the risk of postoperative respiratory failure can be applied in nursing practice by adhering to preoperative and postoperative protocols.

These protocols include performing preoperative and postoperative lung expansion exercises, assessing breathing patterns and most importantly performing a thorough preoperative evaluation. Lung expansion exercises such as incentive spirometry, coughing and deep breathing, chest physiotherapy and the use of CPAP mask are all important exercises that should be performed postoperatively and even in some cases preoperatively. Assessing breathing patterns can be an early indicator of imminent respiratory failure. Furthermore, performing a good preoperative evaluation can help the healthcare team become aware of any risks the patient may have and know how to prevent them or treat them (V. Horowitz, personal communication, September

18,2015).