Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1468749
28 PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES Severe COVID-19's effect on brain equivalent to 20 years of aging, small study finds By Erica Carbajal T he cognitive impairment caused by severe COVID-19 is equiva- lent to 20 years of aging or the loss of 10 IQ points, according to a small study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. e findings, published April 28 in eClinicalMedicine, are based on an analysis of 46 COVID-19 patients who received critical care at Adden- brooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England, between March 2020 and July 2020. Sixteen of those patients required mechanical ventilation. Patients underwent comprehensive cognitive assessments that involved measures of memory, attention and reasoning, as well as anxiety, de- pression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers compared data from their assessments to matched controls. Overall, severe COVID-19 survivors were less accurate and had slower response times, researchers found. e cognitive effects were strongest among patients who required mechanical ventilation. e research team also found the effects were still detectable six months aer acute illness. ey estimated the magnitude of cognitive impairment is similar to the loss experienced between ages 50 and 70 — comparable to 20 years of aging. "Tens of thousands of people have been through intensive care with COVID-19 in England alone, and many more will have been very sick but not admitted to hospital," said Adam Hampshire, study author and professor in the department of brain sciences at Imperial College London. "is means there are a large number of people out there still experiencing problems with cognition many months later. We urgently need to look at what can be done to help these people." n 25% of Medicare recipients harmed during hospital stays, HHS says By Andrew Cass T wenty-five percent of Medicare enrollees experienced harm during hospital stays in October 2018, according to a May 12 report from the HHS Office of the Inspector General. For its study, the office reviewed medical records for a random sample of 770 Medicare patients who were discharged from acute care hospitals in October 2018. Six things to know: 1. Twelve percent of patients experienced adverse effects that led to longer hospital stays, permanent harm, lifesaving inter- vention or death, according to the report. 2. Thirteen percent of patients experienced temporary harm, which required intervention but did not cause lasting harm, prolong hospital stays or require life-sustaining measures. 3. The most common type of harm was related to medication, such as patients experiencing delirium or other changes in mental status, according to the report. 4. Forty-three percent of harm events were preventable, accord- ing to the report. Preventable events were commonly linked to substandard or inadequate care provided to the patient. 5. Twenty-three percent of patients who experienced harm events required treatment that led to additional Medicare costs, according to the report. 6. A previous report found that 27 percent of hospitalized Medi- care patients experienced harm in October 2008. n 5 most challenging requirements in 2021: Joint Commission By Erica Carbajal R educing the risk of hospital-acquired infec- tions was the most challenging compliance standard for hospitals in 2021, according to The Joint Commission. To identify trends on challenging requirements, The Joint Commission collects data on organiza- tions' compliance with standards, national patient safety goals and accreditation, and certification participation requirements. The organization identified the top five requirements for which hospitals were most frequently out of compliance, based on surveys and reviews from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The top five most challenging requirements for hospitals in 2021: 1. The hospital reduces the risk of infections associat- ed with medical equipment, devices and supplies. 2. Reduce the risk for suicide. 3. The hospital safely administers medications. 4. The hospital establishes and maintains a safe, func- tional environment. 5. The hospital manages risks associated with its utility systems. n