Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1191144
9 INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY Heart valve infection risk increases in hospitals By Mackenzie Bean T he risk of developing a heart valve infection in hospitals is increasing, according to a study published in The American Journal of Cardiology. For the study, researchers analyzed data on 21,443 patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis at New Jersey hospitals between 1994 and 2015. Starting in 2004, researchers discovered a drastic decrease in the number of patients admitted with infective endocarditis as their primary diagnosis. Over the same time period, the number of patients who contracted the heart infection as a secondary diagnosis in the hospital increased significantly. Of the 12,252 patients who contracted infective endocarditis during a hospital stay, 60 percent had infections linked to staphylococcus bacteria, "which is abundant in hospitals and implicates healthcare as a possible source of infection," lead author Abel Moreyra, MD, a professor at the Rut- gers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., said in a news release. "In the past, infective endocarditis was associated with rheumatic heart dis- ease and most often caused by bacteria in the mouth," Dr. Moreyra added. "However, new risk factors, such as intravenous opiate abuse, com- promised immune systems, hemodialysis and implanted heart devices have emerged." n Ballad Health implements safety changes after fatal patient drop By Gabrielle Masson A man who died in 2018 aer being dropped in the operating room has led to immediate and long-term improvements at Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health, according to WJHL. Eighty-year-old Harold Landers was dropped during hip repair surgery at Laughlin Memo- rial Hospital, now called Greeneville (Tenn.) Community Hospital East. Mr. Landers reportedly slipped off a bed and broke his neck while staff members were preparing to transfer him to a recovery room aer his surgery. He died eight days later from the injuries, WJHL reported. A Ballad Health executive said the incident prompted same-day action at Laughlin Hos- pital, including staff meetings and retraining, according to WJHL. Mark Patterson, MD, CMO at Laughlin at the time, told WJHL he implemented a new policy for commu- nicating which staff member has hands-on oversight of a patient at all times. A CMS investigation concluded that the hospital "failed to follow facility policy" and "failed to ensure a safe environment during a surgical procedure," WJHL reported. CMS removed the hospital's previously institut- ed "immediate jeopardy" status the same day Mr. Landers died, since Ballad Health submitted a comprehensive correction plan, according to WJHL. Ballad Health and the Landers family reached a confidential settlement Sept. 12. e family released a statement saying, "e Landers family believes Ballad Health has taken our situation very seriously, and we appreciate the steps Ballad Health has taken to make sure all their employees and doctors can learn from this incident," according to WJHL. n Patients sue Pennsylvania clinic over MRSA outbreak By Gabrielle Masson T ri-State Pain Institute in Erie, Pa., and a physician at the practice are facing seven lawsuits alleging that unsafe injection practices ex- posed patients to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus accord- ing to The Erie Times-News. Seven patients treated for chronic pain by Joseph M. Thomas, MD, claim that the physician exposed them to bacteria known to cause MRSA. Health officials reported eight confirmed MRSA cases and one probable case in patients who received steroid injections at Tri-State between Sept. 21 and Sept. 27, 2017. State and local health departments discovered numerous issues with infection control and injection practices at Tri-State Pain, including poor hand hygiene compliance, inadequate on-site infection control training and the improper reuse of single-use syringes. Officials also found Dr. Thomas failed to report the infections to proper authorities. However, Pennsylvania's licensing board has not taken disciplinary action against Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas and Tri-State have denied the claims presented in three law- suits, stating that patients' illnesses were "the result of a pre-existing and/or naturally progressive condition." Plaintiffs are accusing the physician and clinic of negligence and request unspecified damages due to physical and financial losses they suffered from contracting MRSA. n