Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Staff & Patient Safety - October 2019 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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before transporting the patient to the OR. In the OR, the transfer device is reinflated and a group of 4 staff members use it to slide the patient onto the OR table. In most cases, the device in deflated and remains in place under the patient during the procedure. (Evidence shows it does not increase risk of skin lacerations or breakdown, says Ms. Totzkay.) The process is repeated again to move the patient from the OR table to a stretcher, and from the stretcher to a PACU bed. Since implementing the 157-pound trigger for the use of a lateral transfer device about 2 years ago, Ms. Totzkay has seen a threefold decrease in injuries associated with patient handling. "You need to invest in the time to conduct occasional audits to confirm that proper handling processes are being followed correctly," says Ms. Totzkay. "The key is to make sure safe practices are always at the fore- front of your staff members' minds." OSM O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 3

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