Joint Commission Issues Opioid Overuse in Hospitals Alert

The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert for opioid overuse consequences and urged hospitals to take measures to avoid patient complications and death, according to The Hospitalist.

Overuse of opioids — such as morphine, oxycodone and methadone — can lead to slow breathing, dizziness, nausea and falls. In hospitals, overuse can occur through dosing errors and improper monitoring of patient drug interactions, according to the report.

The Joint Commission is asking anesthesiologists and pain interventionalists to better oversee patients receiving these drugs.

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