Stay Safer
associate chairman of the department of medicine Sherer, M.D., an anesthesiologist and author of Dr.
at the University of California, San Francisco, and a David Sherer’s Hospital Survival Guide: 100+ Ways to
leading expert in patient safety. “Trust your instincts. Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable (Claren
If something doesn’t feel right or seem right, ask the Books, 2003). A lowered bedrail makes it more like-
question and check.” ly you’ll accidentally fall out of bed, whether you’re
asleep or awake.
2
Learn About Your Medications
Checking up on your prescriptions is some-
thing you can do that truly improves your
chances of a safer stay. That’s because drug-related 4
Be Careful in the ER and ICU
In the emergency room (ER) and the intensive
care unit (ICU) healthcare providers are usu-
mistakes are quite common. A recent study found ally working very quickly and patients tend to be
that unintentional medication errors with the po- more ill. So not only does the risk for a mistake go
tential to cause harm occurred 1.44 times per patient up, the stakes go up too. To make sure you get ap-
in a hospital. So both patients and healthcare provid- propriate care in the ER, it’s best to describe your
ers need to pay very close attention to drugs. “You symptoms “in vivid terms,” recommends Sherer.
as the patient are the common thread, the only per- “Instead of just saying ‘I have chest pain,’ be specific.
son who interacts with all of your doctors,” says Is it a crushing pain? Is it radiating to your jaw? Are
Jeffrey Schnipper, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical you having trouble breathing? That kind of clarity
research at the BWH Hospitalist Service of Brigham will help you get the care you need.” The faster you
and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, and the lead re- get the right attention, the faster you can heal and
searcher in the medication mistakes study. be on your way home and the less vulnerable you’ll
So don’t assume that the correct information about be to dangerous complications. In the ICU, ask that
the drugs you’re taking is in your record. Start or you be cared for by a doctor who specializes in
update a list of all your medications (including over-
the-counter drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements)
and keep it in your wallet at all times, says Schnipper.
That way, you can easily show it to every provider
you see and you won’t need to remember everything
you’re taking (be sure to note the drug name, dosage
and why you take it too). When you know you’ll be
going to a doctor’s office or back to the hospital, bring
your list and dump all your medicines into a bag and
bring that with you as well. After you’re released
from the hospital ask to see your chart at each follow-
up doctor’s visit to check that the medications listed
there are correct. “Be honest, too, about whether
you’re taking them as prescribed or not,” Schnipper Providers should check
adds. If you’re supposed to take several blood pressure
your ID before surgery.
meds but really only take one, or often miss doses of
another, your doctors need to know that.
intensive care (aka an “intensivist”) or critical care,
3
Protect Yourself From Falls if your hospital has one. Studies show that seeing an
Falling while you’re in the hospital can make intensive-care specialist can decrease patients’ risk
your stay more difficult because a bad tumble of dying by 30 percent, says Peter Pronovost.
can cause broken bones or injuries to internal organs,
particularly in seniors. To avoid a fall that leads to a
longer stay, never hesitate to call for help when you
need to go to the bathroom. (For this reason, be sure 5
Do a Pre-Surgery Check
You may have heard stories about people get-
e
s
g
a
ting the wrong leg operated on, or even having
i
m
you can always reach your call button when you’re the wrong procedure altogether. Thankfully, “wrong-
e
r
t
p
i
e
d
alone.) Wear non-slip socks or slippers when you’re site surgery” is quite uncommon, occurring about
u
/
j a
t
k
r
out of bed; bare feet or regular socks make it easier once in every 112,000 surgeries, according to a 2006
c p
o
o r
to slip. If you wear glasses, put them on so you can report. To keep it from happening, your providers
s
t o
a
c
n
a

i
n
see clearly. Also, “if someone lowers the rail on your should ask your name before any procedure; this is
n
a e
e
r

b

v
bed, be sure they put it back up,” cautions David to check that you are the patient they’re planning to © ©
20 the patient magazine 2010
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