A new study by Columbia University School of Nursing about hospital infection prevention policies has revealed some disturbing results – most hospitals fail to follow their own policies. The price of these infections is high, costing $33 billion annually for excess medical care and killing 100,000 people in this country every year.

Researchers studied the prevention policies of over 1600 intensive care units (ICU) at almost 1,000 hospitals located across the U.S. The team was especially interested in what kind of checklists were in place to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Of all the ICUs studied, one in 10 still did not have any kind of checklist in place to help deter bloodstream infections. The study also found that one in four ICUs had no checklists to help prevent patients developing pneumonia while on a ventilator.

For those units that did have checklists in place, these safeguards were only followed half the time.

Past research has shown that the use of electronic monitoring systems and staff that are trained and have infection control certification can significantly reduce the occurrence of these infections. But only one-third of the hospitals actually had some type of electronic monitoring system in place. And more than one-third of the hospitals studied had no staff trained in infection control.

The research was led by Dr. Patricia Stone, who has been involved in considerable research about hospital and health-care infections. In a statement, Dr. Stone said, “Hospitals aren’t following the rules they put in place themselves to keep patients safe. Rules don’t keep patients from dying unless they’re enforced.”

Dr. Stone also added, “Every hospital should see this research as a call to action – it’s just unconscionable that we’re not doing every single thing we can, every day, for every patient, to avoid preventable infections.”

If you have suffered from complications caused by negligent medical care, contact a Westport medical malpractice attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.

Some of the most dangerous drugs are those sold over the counter and taken incorrectly. At the end of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding the overuse of acetaminophen in hospitals and in homes. In January, a similar warning was issued stating that, “over-the-counter (OTC) sodium phosphate drugs to treat constipation can cause rare but serious harm to the kidneys and heart, and even death,” according to the FDA. The damage results from a change in the levels of serum electrolytes. This can occur if a person takes more than the recommended dose of the sodium phosphate products. “According to the reports,” the FDA states, “most cases of serious harm occurred with a single dose of sodium phosphate that was larger than recommended or with more than one dose in a day.”

According to Medscape.org, “the problem surfaced in a review… which turned up 54 cases in 25 adults and 29 children of serious adverse events associated with the oral or rectal use of OTC sodium phosphate drug products used to treat constipation.” Medscape reports that individuals who may be at higher risk when using the sodium phosphate products include (but are not limited to):

• Young children
• Individuals older than 55 years
• Patients who are dehydrated
• Patients with kidney disease, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the bowel
• Patients using medications that affect kidney function 

OTC sodium phosphate medications come in several different forms. They may include diuretics or water pills, Medscape reports, inhibitors or receptor blockers used to treat hypertension, and anti-inflammatory OTC drugs. This isn’t the first time that the FDA has issued a warning regarding the overuse of such drugs, according to Medscape. The agency has previously issued a similar warning regarding the overuse of such drugs “for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy or other procedures,” Medscape reports.

If you or someone you know has been adversely affected because of a dangerous drug in Connecticut, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. Contact Richard H. Raphael today.