Jack Egnatinsky, MD, medical director of the AAAHC and a retired anesthesiologist, provides guidance for overcoming the ASC challenge of how to prevent patient falls.
Dr. Jack Egnatinsky: As the use of regional anesthesia, either as the primary anesthetic or as a supplement to sedation or general anesthesia, and the tremendous increase in the number of pain management procedures, all of which may lead to decreased sensation and/or muscle control after the procedure, many patients feel so good and are anxious to get moving that they ignore instructions and try to get up without assistance. Some fall. This can not only lead to injuries to the patient, but also to staff who struggle to get these patients back to bed or to a chair. Written policies are great, but there must be adequate staff and patient education starting before the procedure to be sure the patient understands that they may have these muscle control problems for a while after the procedure.
Learn more about AAAHC.
Read more insight on meeting AAAHC standards:
- 3 Quick Tips to Better Meet Accreditation Standards
- 10 Steps for Analysis of Quality Improvement Projects
- Radiologist Required to Supervise ASC Radiological Services
Dr. Jack Egnatinsky: As the use of regional anesthesia, either as the primary anesthetic or as a supplement to sedation or general anesthesia, and the tremendous increase in the number of pain management procedures, all of which may lead to decreased sensation and/or muscle control after the procedure, many patients feel so good and are anxious to get moving that they ignore instructions and try to get up without assistance. Some fall. This can not only lead to injuries to the patient, but also to staff who struggle to get these patients back to bed or to a chair. Written policies are great, but there must be adequate staff and patient education starting before the procedure to be sure the patient understands that they may have these muscle control problems for a while after the procedure.
Learn more about AAAHC.
Read more insight on meeting AAAHC standards:
- 3 Quick Tips to Better Meet Accreditation Standards
- 10 Steps for Analysis of Quality Improvement Projects
- Radiologist Required to Supervise ASC Radiological Services