Healthcare Safety Index June 2015

Here are patient safety issues that have appeared in the news and medical journals throughout the last 30 days or so:

An article published in the June 16, 2015 edition of JAMA concluded that antibiotic treatment of patients with uncomplicated appendicitis may be as effective as an appendectomy.

A study published online on PLOS One on June 10, 2015 concluded that proton pump inhibitor usage increases the risk of heart attacks.

U.S. News & World Report published its annual list of Best Children’s Hospitals.  Nationwide top finishers in their respective categories included: Cancer – Dana-Farber Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center;Cardiology & Heart Surgery – Boston Children’s Hospital; Diabetes & Endocrinology – Boston Children’s Hospital;Gastroenterology & GI Surgery –  Boston Children’s Hospital;  Neonatology - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia;Nephrology - Boston Children’s Hospital; Neurology and Neurosurgery – Boston Children’s Hospital; Orthopedics – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Pulmonology – Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Urology – Boston Children’s Hospital.

Top finishers in proximity to New Jersey include:   Cancer – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (3); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (17); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (21); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (22); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (24); and Children’s

Hospital at Montefiore (48). Cardiology & Heart Surgery – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (4); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (9); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (10); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (37); Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (40).  Diabetes & Endocrinology – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (3); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (11);  Winthrop-University Hospital Children’s Medical Center (34); Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (36). Gastroenterology & GI Surgery -  Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (2); Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (3); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (12);  Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (25); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (33); Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (38); St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children (44).   Neonatology – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (1); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (10); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (18).  Nephrology - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (6); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (15); Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (19); Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (24); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (31); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (43); St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children (49).  Neurology and Neurosurgery – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (3); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (10); Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (25); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (27); Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (37); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (44). Orthopedics – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (1); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (27); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (38); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (44);  Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (46). Pulmonology – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (3); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (6); Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (18); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (24); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (30). Urology – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2); Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital (15); Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (16); New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital (32); Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital (34).

An article published on Pediatrics suggested that anesthesia in children under 4 years old may result in decreased listening comprehension and performance IQ. There were questions about proof of causation related to the article, however.

The results of a study published in the American Journal of Medicine revealed that when patients were offered an opportunity to obtain a second opinion free of charge, it resulted in a change in diagnosis 14.8% of the time, a change in treatment 37.4% of the time, or changes to both 10.6% of the time. Moreover, the changes in diagnoses resulting from second opinions sought were estimated to have a moderate/major impact in 20.9% of cases and the changes that resulted in different treatment were deemed to have a moderate/major impact 30.7% of the cases.

An article published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence revealed that unauthorized use of prescription stimulants by teens peaks between 16 and 19 years, when an estimated 0.7% to 0.8%  teens in this age group report using these medicines for the first time in the past twelve months.

An article published in the British Medical Journal concluded that teens between 13 and 18 years old who were the victim of bullying were approximately twice as likely as teens who were not bullied to experience depression at 18 years of age.

An article appearing in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicated that Borrelia miyamotoi disease — a tick-borne infection – that can cause more severe symptoms than Lyme disease, is becoming more common and should be considered in all areas where deer tick–transmitted infections are endemic, particularly in the northeastern United States. Symptoms of Borrelia miyamotoi disease include fever, myalgia, influenza-like illness, headache, or rash.

An article published in JAMA revealed that 75% of men and 66% of women in the United States were either overweight or obese between 2007 and 2012. This is represents an increase in overweight and obesity rates in the United States in surveys conducted in 1988 and 1994.

A study published in JAMA indicated that men using erectile dysfunction drugs had a statistically significant increase in risk for malignant melanoma.