One Strong Voice - Clinically Speaking

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  Misreading of the label has led to dangerous and deadly heparin overdoses.

• Safe Practices for Better Healthcare Outcomes 

  
  Many low cost improvements can significantly improve patient outcomes.

• Higher Number of Nurses with Baccalaureate Degrees: Linked to Lower Rates of Mortality 

  
  A multitude of studies have reported a direct relationship between the level of education of the registered nurse and patient outcomes.

• Multi-drug-resistant Tuberculosis 

  
  A new multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is spreading and is resistant to all anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB does not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful anti-tuberculosis drugs.

• Carbemem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae: A Lethal Germ 

  
  The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has identified a potentially fatal antibiotic resistant bacterium which has surfaced in over 200 U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities. The bacterium named Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has contributed to patient mortality in nearly 50% of individuals which become infected. CRE are in a family of more than 70 bacteria called enterobacteriaceae, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli, which are typically found in the gastro-intestinal tract.

• Medical Alarm Safety in Hospitals 

  
  When used properly, medical alarms provide crucial information to the clinician which is used to make medical and treatment decisions. One identified problem is that a single patient care unit may have over 100 alarm signals in a single shift, leading to clinician desensitization and "alarm fatigue." In response to the alarms, clinicians may turn off the alarm, turn the volume down, or change the alarm limits which can often have fatal results.