1. Natural Environment
2. Chemical and Drugs
3. Microorganisms and Vermin
4.. Waste
5. Sounds and Radiation
6. Electricity
7. Natural and Unnatural Disasters
8. Surrounding
9. Gravity and Mechanical Stress
10. People
1. Natural Environment
Natural environment factors such as air can threaten the safety of the hospital’s staff, patients, and guests. Some diseases can be transmitted through the air over long distances and be passed on to other people in the hospital if the air is not properly filtered. The term ‘Hospital-acquired infection’ (HAI) is used for such cases. HAI has become a public health issue with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Another factor would be water. Water is self-explanatory. If water spills onto medical equipment, it could cause the equipment to malfunction which may be fatal to the patient connected to the said equipment, especially if the patient’s life is dependent on the equipment. Water can also carry and spread waterborne diseases such as thyroid.
2. Chemicals and Drugs
Chemicals can be harmful to the hospital’s staff, patients, and guests. If they are not handled properly, they can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation. Certain chemicals may be corrosive, which means that it may physically damage the medical equipment as well as the hospital’s staff, patients, and guests. Drugs can also be harmful in the case of a drug overdose, be it accidental or due to faulty equipment. It may also be possible that the wrong drug could be prescribed to patients, which may cause undesired outcomes. Another possible problem could be different drug allergies that different patients may have. Certain components in the drugs ...
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...give reason for the patient’s family to sue the hospital. Carelessness is, for example, when nurses and doctors misplace or misname chemicals, drugs and materials. This could lead to very disastrous situations when the wrong chemicals, drugs and materials are used for the different procedures. It may even cause lives to be lost or collateral damage to the hospital building. Carelessness can also be improper disposal of hazardous wastes which can be dangerous as stated above. Clumsiness is, for example, when people in the hospital trip and fall, spill chemicals or acids and so much more. This can be dangerous if they cannot properly clean up the spill or when falling down spill something corrosive on the patients or guests. People can also be carriers of diseases and infections. They can spread these diseases and infections via contact with other human beings.
The hospital under vicarious liability is based on Respondeat Superior (let the master answer) for the negligence actions of its contractors/employees. This is the responsibility of physicians for negligent actions of hospital employees ranging from nurses to x-ray techs. Through Corporate Liability the hospital itself is liable for the negligent actions of its workers.
Hospital medical errors can involve medicines (e.g., wrong drug, wrong dose, bad combination), an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis, equipment malfunction, surgical mistakes, or laboratory errors. High medical error rates with serious consequences occurs in intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency departments; but, serious errors that harmed patients may have prevented or minimized. Understand the nature of the error
Patient safety is the basis of quality health care in the hospital. Works applied to patient safety and practices that have not prevented hazard have focused on negative outcomes of care, such as mortality and morbidity. Healthcare employees are important to the surveillance and coordination that will reduce such adverse effects.
The way in which this problem was able to occur is that because now we have things like hospitals, or other sorts of locations used to aid the public we have now created the opportunity for many people with different illnesses to all accompany each other. This in turn has created a breading ground for bacteria. Thus the more compact the area, like the ER, the more likely to catch some form of illness. Since M.R.S.A. has become too prevalent in the world the likely-hood of people contracting the disease is much higher. Also since it doesn’t require a host for survival, touching contaminated surfaces can transmit it. There have even been instances where hospital staffs accidently were carrying the disease around the hospital on their uniforms. In a study done by Russel Olmsted, 60% of doctors and 65% of nurses were found caring M.R.S.A. on their uniforms. This leads to the risk that every patient they helped or were near during the time they were contaminated are now at risk for the disease (MNT, 2011).
Health care facilities - whether hospitals, nursing homes or outpatient facilities - can be dangerous places for the acquisition of infections (EHA). The most common type of nosocomial infections are surgical wound infections, respiratory infections, genitourinary infections and gastrointestinal infection (EHA). Nosocomial infections are those that originate or occur in health care setting (Abedon). They can also be defined as those that occur within 48 hours of hospital admission, 3 days of discharge or 30 days of an operation (Inweregbu). These infections are often caused by breaches of infection control practices and procedures, unclean and non-sterile environmental surfaces, and ill employees (EHA). Immunocompromised patients, the elderly and young children are usually more susceptible to these types of infections. Nosocomial infections are transmitted through direct contact from the hospital staff, inadequately sterilized instruments, aerosol droplets from other ill patients or even the food and water provided at the hospital (EHA). The symptoms of nosocomial infections vary by type but may include inflammation, discharge, fever, abscesses, and pain and irritation at the infection site (Stubblefield).
The focus of health care is and has always been, practicing good hygiene, living a healthy lifestyle, and having a positive attitude reduces the chance of getting ill. Although there is not much prevention we can take for some of the diseases but we can certainly practice good hand hygiene to prevent infection and its ill effects. Research proves that hand washing is surely the most easy and effective way to prevent infection in health care. The question for this research: Is Hand washing an effective way to prevent infection in health care? It led to the conclusion that due to the high acuity, high patient: staff ratio, and lack of re evaluation certain units in the health care facilities cannot adhere to correct hand washing guidelines. Hand
This literature review will analyze and critically explore four studies that have been conducted on hand hygiene compliance rates by Healthcare workers (HCWs). Firstly, it will look at compliance rates for HCWs in the intensive care units (ICU) and then explore the different factors that contribute to low hand hygiene compliance. Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) or Nosocomial Infections appear worldwide, affecting both developed and poor countries. HAIs represent a major source of morbidity and mortality, especially for patients in the ICU (Hugonnet, Perneger, & Pittet, 2002). Hand hygiene can be defined as any method that destroys or removes microorganisms on hands (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2002), a HAI can be defined as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. The hands of HCWs transmit majority of the endemic infections. As
For many patients the scariest part of being in the hospital is having to rely on other people to control their life changing decisions. There are multiple causes of patient harm, one of the major contributors are medication errors made by health care professional. Medication errors are inappropriate dispensing and administration of drugs which cause harmful effects such liver damage and excessive bleeding. Most cases of medication errors in hospitals occur as a result of wrong diagnosis by the doctors leading administration of inappropriate drug, poor communication between doctors and nurses and between patients and nurses who issue the drugs. However in an article by the International Journal of Nursing practice, in Australia many occurrences
“Medical malpractice occurs when a hospital, doctor, or other health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, causes an injury to a patient” (ABPLA). The problem with medical malpractice involves malpractice claims, unnecessary procedures, the general system, communication issues, and reform efforts. Although medical malpractice is a significant concern, much is being done to address this problem.
The goal of patient safety is to prevent harm to patients Mitchell (n.d.). Patient safety in any health system is critical not only for the credibility of the system, but for patient trust and satisfaction as well. Adverse outcomes are defined as any injury or harm resulting from medical care (Watcher, 2008). Adverse outcomes can result in death and disability and cost the health system dearly. Bernard and Encinosa (2004) reported that in the U.S. it costs twice as much to care for patients that experienced adverse outcomes. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2000) reported that adverse outcomes cost the U.S. more than 16 billion dollars or 6% of total inpatient costs. Therefore, adverse events are costly both in terms of human life and fiscal resources.
Healthcare-associated infections can occur in any type of healthcare facility. It usually begins from cross contamination from healthcare providers to the patient, however, it can come from other patients, hazardous medical procedures, and contaminated surgical tools too. Healthcare workers play the leading role in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Srigley et al. (2013) stated that “Healthcare worker (HCW) hand hygiene is considered to be one of the most important interventions for the prevention of HAIs and AROs. However HCW hand hygiene is typically poor, with a median compliance of 40%, and few interventions have been demonstrated to result in significant and sustained improvement” In order to
(2014) shed light on two key components for infection control, which includes protecting patients from acquiring infections and protecting health care workers from becoming infected (Curchoe et al., 2014). The techniques that are used to protect patients also provide protection for nurses and other health care workers alike. In order to prevent the spread of infections, it is important for health care workers to be meticulous and attentive when providing care to already vulnerable patients (Curchoe et al., 2014). If a health care worker is aware they may contaminate the surroundings of a patient, they must properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize any contaminated objects in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms (Curchoe et al., 2014). It is also ideal to change gloves after contact with contaminated secretions and before leaving a patient’s room (Curchoe, 2014). Research suggests that due to standard precaution, gloves must be worn as a single-use item for each invasive procedure, contact with sterile sites, and non-intact skin or mucous membranes (Curchoe et al., 2014). Hence, it is critical that health care workers change gloves during any activity that has been assessed as carrying a risk of exposure to body substances, secretions, excretions, and blood (Curchoe et al.,
Patient safety must be the first priority in the health care system, and it is widely accepta-ble that unnecessary harm to a patient must be controlled.Two million babies and mother die due to preventable medical errors annually worldwide due to pregnancy related complications and there is worldwide increase in nosocomial infections, which is almost equal to 5-10% of total admissions occurring in the hospitals. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Total 1.4 million patients are victims of hospital-acquired infection. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Unsafe infection practice leads to 1.3 million death word wide and loss of 26 millions of life while ad-verse drug events are increasing in health care and 10% of total admitted patients are facing ad-verse drug events. (WHO Patient Safety Re...
“Nursing Accidents Unleash Silent Killers”, according to the article titled “A Wake-up Call” (Marilyn S. Fetter 2011). Mistakes or errors implemented by nurses nationwide not only kill but injure thousands. This perception of practicing nurses continuously causing errors and mistakes can be changed and something can be done about it. Although, rare cases of nursing malpractice are still on the rise. Malpractice is a serious case in which can be avoided completely by a skilled nurse who in which follows standards and safety precautions to accurately and correctly care for each and every patient. The nurse’s role in healthcare continues to expand throughout the years. For example, with the new Healthcare Reform Act taking affect the roles of the health care nurse expands even more increasing the demands placed on them for the care and treatment of every patient. This has also lead to an expansion of legal liability for malpractice. The nurse upholds a close and professional relationship with the patient and has the best advantage to impact the patient. The nurse holds the utmost responsibility in continuing to be well informed about malpractice, as well as how to avoid a malpractice case or negligence by presenting outstanding patient care; in addition to malpractice insurance to protect yourself from an undesirable outcome.
The purpose of his article was to find a better way to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) and explain what could be done to make healthcare facilities safer. The main problem that Cole presented was a combination of crowded hospitals that are understaffed with bed management problems and inadequate isolation facilities, which should not be happening in this day and age (Cole, 2011). He explained the “safety culture properties” (Cole, 2011) that are associated with preventing infection in healthcare; these include justness, leadership, teamwork, evidence based practice, communication, patient centeredness, and learning. If a healthcare facility is not honest about their work and does not work together, the patient is much more likely to get injured or sick while in the