Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

16 PATIENT SAFETY Milwaukee hospital's ER still slow to check on patients after woman's death, CMS finds By Anuja Vaidya A CMS inspection has found several instances in which emergency room staff at Milwaukee-based Froedtert Hospital did not check on patients as often as they should have per hospital policy, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The inspection took place after a 25-year-old woman left the ER to find an urgent care clinic after waiting nearly two and half hours to be seen. She died soon after. CMS identified six other instances where staff delayed checking ER patients' vitals in December 2019 and January of this year, according to records the Journal Sentinel ob- tained through an open records request. For the inspection, 20 reports were reviewed. In one instance, a patient came to the ER after taking a painkiller and alcohol. Hospital policy dictates that staff check the patient's vital signs every 30 minutes. However, CMS found that staff did not check the patient's vital signs at all ov er a five-hour period. The report does not detail how the delays in checking patients affected their care. Despite these lapses, the hospital "was found to be in sub- stantial compliance with CMS standards," a spokesperson for Froedtert Hospital told Becker's. Thus, the hospital was not required to submit a response or corrective action plan to CMS. The spokesperson also said that the hospital's services are always in high demand since it is the only Level 1 trauma center in southeast Wisconsin. The hospital has invested "tens of millions of dollars in our emergency department and continues to focus on strate- gies to more quickly and efficiently connect our patients to the care they need," the spokesperson said. n COVID-19 patients face many obstacles after ICU stay By Mackenzie Bean H undreds of thousands of Americans may struggle with the physical and psychological effects of a long- term intensive care unit stay once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, reported e Washington Post. A large volume of clinical evidence shows that many patients suffer long-term physical, mental and emotional is- sues aer getting off a ventilator in the ICU. ese challeng- es may include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or difficulty performing daily activities, such as eating or getting dressed. COVID-19 patients in intensive care are extremely isolated from human interaction due to infection prevention mea- sures, which can increase the risk of psychological issues. "We normally kneel at their bedside and hold their hand and ask them, 'How are you' and tell them, 'It is my privilege to help you,'" E. Wesley Ely, MD, a professor at Nashville-based Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told the Post. "In- stead, what they are getting is someone in spacesuit garb with very little time to spend with them." The pandemic is also limiting COVID-19 patients' ability to access crucial rehabilitation services, including physi- cal therapy and speech therapy, after they're discharged, further complicating their recovery. n Elderly woman killed after social distancing argument in New York ER By Mackenzie Bean T he death of an elderly patient at an emergency room in New York City highlighted hospitals' struggle to maintain order amid high patient volumes and heightened fears about the pandemic, according to The New York Times. Janie Marshall, 86, had dementia and was wandering around the ER at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center on March 28. The incident, caught on security footage, occurred after Ms. Marshall grabbed onto another patient's IV pole to steady herself. Ms. Marshall got into an argument with 32-year- old Cassandra Lundy, who allegedly pushed the elderly wom- an, causing her to fall and hit her head. She died three hours later. Ms. Lundy told police she was upset that Ms. Marshall was not following social distancing precautions amid the pandemic. Ms. Lundy initially received a summons for disorderly conduct but was later charged with manslaughter and assault after the medical examiner ruled Ms. Marshall's death a homicide. The Brooklyn Defender Services, which is representing Ms. Lun- dy, declined NYT's request for comment. Hospital leaders told the publication they were cooperating with authorities. "We are terribly saddened by this death," Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center said in a statement to NYT. "We are committed to ensuring a safe, health-focused environment in these very demanding times so our heroic healthcare workers can continue to deliver the quality, compassionate care New Yorkers need more than ever." n

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