Block 11 Flashcards
Define patient safety?
Coordinated efforts to prevent harm to patients caused by the process of health care itself
What is an adverse event?
Unintended event resulting from clinical care or causing patient harm
What is a near miss?
Situation in which events arise during clinical care but fail to develop further
What is the swiss cheese model of accident causation?
Although many layers of defence lie between hazards and accidents, there are flaws in each layer that, if aligned, can allow the accident to occur
What are the main causes of error at an individual and system level?
Individual - errors of individuals, blames individual for forgetfulness, inattention of moral weakness
System - conditions under which individual works, tries to build defences to eliminate errors or mitigate their effect
What are active failures?
Unsafe acts committed by people in direct contact with patient
What is a latent error?
Develop over time until they combine with other factors or active failures to cause an adverse event
What are the different types of error?
- Knowledge based
- Rule based
- Skills based
What are violations?
Deliberate deviation from regulated code of practice/procedure
What are the types of violation?
- Routine - due to system being poorly designed
- Reasoned - in patients best interest
- Reckless - opportunity for harm is foreseeable and ignored (may never be intended)
- Malicious- intention to cause harm
What systems are in place to prevent errors?
- National Patient Safety Agency 2001 - reporting and learning from mistakes
- National reporting and learning system 2004 - anonymous reporting of patient safety incidents
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agents - medicines, healthcare products and medical equipment meet appropriate standards
How to know if a hospital is safe
- Hospital mortality data
- Data on other measures of safety - e.g. NHS safety thermometer
- Monitoring and inspections by regulators - CQC + NHS improvement
Situations associated with increased risk of error
Unfamiliarity with task Inexperience Shortage of time Inadequate checking Poor procedures Poor human equipment interface
What to do when adverse incidents occur?
- Report it
- Assess seriousness
- Analyse why it occurred (root cause analysis)
- Open and honest and apologise
- Learn and reduce risk of repeat
What are the most common causes of death and admission to hospital/primary care for children in developing countries?
Infection Diarrhoea Malaria HIV Malnutrition Kwashiorkor Sanitation Water supply Food hygiene
What are the most common causes of death and admission to hospital/primary care for children in developed countries?
Congenital abnormalities Infection Respiratory disorders Trauma Malignancy Neurological disease
Common causes for why children go to A+E
Accidental injury Asthma Respiratory illness Infective process Rashes Appendicitis
Why are males more likely to die than females?
Higher suicide rate
Violence related
Road traffic accidents
Behavioural difference between male and female - more risky behaviour
Most common cause of external death in adolescents?
Traffic accidents (>50%)
Why does poverty increase chances of being ill?
Poor nutrition
Overcrowding
Lack of clean water
Harsh realties that may make putting your health at risk the only way to survive
Why does poor health increase poverty?
Reduces family’s work productivity + family sells assets to cover treatment
Implications on chronic illness in children
- Affects physical, mental and social development
- Repeated absence at school
- Affect on parents and siblings
- Financial affect
- Can be lifelong
What conditions are screened for before birth?
Antenatal screening test - identifies major abnormalities like…
- Alpha fetoprotein - raised in neural tube defects and GI abnormalities
- Downs test - AFP and HCG
- Ultrasound - growth check, cardiac abnormalities, diaphragmatic hernia
what Neonatal tests are done?
- Blood spot test - PKU, Cystic fibrosis, Sickle cell disease, congenital hypothyroidism
- Physical examination
Timings for screening and developmental surveillance
week 12 pregnancy - antenatal screening Neonatal exam New baby review (14 days) 6-8week check 1 year check 2-2.5 year check
Purpose of the 6-8 week postnatal check
- Take history
- Assess psychological and social situation
- Examination of mother - abdomen, vaginal exam, BMI
- Examination of baby - weight, head circumference, appearance and movement, hips, heart, spine, eyes
- Health promotion - immunisation, breast-feeding, reducing SIDS, car safety
- Assessment of parenting and emotional attachment
What is looked for in the heart exam at 6-8weeks?
- Cyanosis, ventricular heave, respiratory distress, tachypnoea
- Feel apex beat
- Listen for murmurs
What is developmental displasia of the hip (DDH)?
Ball and socket joint of hip doesn’t form properly - too shallow so femoral head can dislocate
Tests for DDH
- Barlows test - flex and adduct hip, then push posteriorly (positive test = femoral head slips out acetabulum)
- Ortolanis test - gently abduct hip (puts dislocated hip back in place
What are the normal vital signs of a healthy baby? (RR, HR, Temp)
RR - 30-60bpm
HR - 100-160bpm
Temp - 37
Immunisation schedule of baby up to 1
8 weeks - 6in1 vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, MenB vaccine, PCV vaccine
12 weeks - 6in1 vaccine, rotavirus vaccine 2
16 weeks - 6in1 vaccine, PCV vaccine 2, MenB vaccine 2
1 year vaccine - Hib, Men C vaccine, MMR vaccine, PCV vaccine 3, MenB vaccine 3
What is the 6in1 vaccine?
- Diptheria
- Tetanus
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
- Polio
- Hib disease
- Hepatitis B
What is the PCV vaccine?
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
What is the Hib vaccine?
Haemophilus influenzae type b
What is the puerperium period?
Postnatal period - period of about 6-8 weeks after childbirth during which mothers reproductive organs return to their original non-pregnant condition