December 2011
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Perspectives on Safety
Fall Prevention
INTERVIEW
In Conversation With… Ann L. Hendrich, RN, PhD
A leading expert on health care–associated falls, Dr. Hendrich developed one of the most widely used risk assessment tools.
Listen to an audio excerpt of the interview
(.MP3 | 7.32 MB)
PERSPECTIVE
Implementing a Fall Prevention Program
by Frances Healey, RN, PhD
This piece discusses the multiple, complex causes of falls in hospitalized patients along with prevention strategies.
Cases & Commentaries
SPOTLIGHT CASE
While entering an order via smartphone to discontinue anticoagulation on a patient, a resident received a text message from a friend and never completed the order. The patient continued to receive warfarin and had spontaneous bleeding into the pericardium that required emergency open heart surgery.
Commentary by
John Halamka, MD, MS
CME/CEU credit available for this case
A patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome received more than the recommended number of plasmapheresis treatments. When the ordering physicians were asked why so many treatments were given, they both responded that the patient was improving so they felt that more treatments would help him recover even more.
Commentary by
Rita Redberg, MD, MSc
A woman presented to the emergency department with an eyelid laceration, which was sutured without complication. Her visual acuity was not formally tested and ophthalmology was not consulted. Ten days later, she presented with eye pain and poor vision. Ophthalmologist evaluation revealed a ruptured globe requiring surgical repair.
Commentary by
Rahul Sharma, MD, MBA; and Douglas Brunette, MD, MPH
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