Clinical Insights

This month’s Tip to Treasure focuses on Infection Prevention. Did you know that nearly 2 million infections are acquired in healthcare settings every year across the country, and hospital acquired infections (HAIs) kill about 100,000 Americans each year?

According to a Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert issued in January 2010, pre-existing medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity are putting women at greater risk for death during or shortly after pregnancy. The Alert comes as federal and state governments are stepping up efforts to identify the causes of maternal deaths in order to prevent them.

As every pediatric nurse knows, administering oral medications to young children can be a laborious task. To assist you in delivering medications safely and efficiently, follow this month’s tips and treasure the extra time you will save by efficient medication administration.

Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is the number one killer in the United States today. February is American Heart Month, during which time awareness of heart disease is heightened. The intention of this is to raise funds for research and education and share current information about heart disease and stroke.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommends that hospitals take measures to address the issue of look alike/sound alike (LASA) medications. The institute developed a concept of tallman lettering, or capitalization of a few letters within a drug name, to differentiate a standard set of LASA drug name pairs.