Patient Safety & Outcomes

There were 11 open pediatric hospital beds in Minnesota as of Oct. 7, local ABC News affiliate KSTP reports. 

While the overall risk is low, people with substance use disorders such as drug and alcohol abuse may be more susceptible to a breakthrough COVID-19 infection than those without the disorders, research published Oct. 5 in World Psychiatry suggests. 

A study published Oct. 6 in JAMA Open Network found landlords are more likely to improve poor housing conditions when provided a note from a pediatrician note compared to other avenues. 

The Joint Commission announced Oct. 7 the "Speak Up Against Discrimination" campaign, an educational campaign encouraging patients to report if they experience discrimination while receiving healthcare.

A British Journal of Dermatology study published Oct. 6 shed more light on "COVID toes," a symptom of some COVID-19 patients who experience  toes and fingers change color, itch and swell. 

UCHealth will not perform organ transplants on patients who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 in "almost all situations," The Washington Post reports. 

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign updated its guidelines for diagnosing and treating sepsis in adults Oct. 4.

While convalescent plasma was among the arsenal of tools to fight COVID-19 in the first few months of the pandemic, it has little effect on improving outcomes among critically ill COVID-19 patients, according to research published Oct. 4 in JAMA. 

The second COVID-19 vaccine dose can nearly triple the chances of myocarditis — a rare heart condition — in young men, though the absolute risk for the condition remains very low, according to study findings published Oct. 4 by JAMA…

The healthcare industry's staffing shortage crisis has had clear consequences for care delivery and efficiency, forcing some health systems to pause nonemergency surgeries or temporarily close facilities. Less understood is how these shortages are affecting care quality and patient safety.