Patient Safety & Outcomes

At least 10 people were transported to area hospitals after rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol grounds Jan. 6, and five people died, including a woman who was shot by a Capitol police officer, reports NBC Washington.

The implementation of a safety protocol helped to reduce self-harm for high-risk patients in the emergency department, according to findings published in the January issue of The Joint Commision Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 

Researchers have identified more than 200 long-term symptoms that can affect COVID-19 "long haulers," or people who experience prolonged effects from the virus, according to a survey published Dec. 24 in the medical preprint server medRxiv.

Banner Health will pause elective surgeries Jan. 1, the Phoenix-based system announced Dec. 30. 

Beginning Jan. 4, Cleveland Clinic will resume nonessential surgeries requiring an overnight hospital stay in Ohio.

COVID-19 viral loads could be a useful indicator of which patients may need higher levels of care, The New York Times reports. 

The Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control editorial team chose the following 10 patient safety issues for healthcare leaders to prioritize in 2021, presented below in no particular order, based on news, study findings and trends reported in the past…

A small number of COVID-19 patients with no history of mental illness are developing severe psychotic symptoms weeks to months after contracting the virus, reports The New York Times.

Many healthcare workers aren't using COVID-19 antibody drugs from Eli Lilly and Regeneron, citing lack of data and staffing shortages, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Twenty-one Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California are suspending elective, non-urgent procedures through Jan. 4 as they continue to face a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to The Mercury News.