CASES WE HANDLE

When an operation is over and the patient is taken to the recovery room (PACU) and later to the regular floor for discharge, most people think the danger is over. But the potential for deadly errors still exists. Most often these errors revolve around failing to adequately monitor post-operative patients.

When the patient’s breathing tube is removed, it may be too early and breathing problems will occur. Careful monitoring by nurses and respiratory therapists is necessary to avoid complications.

Patients often receive pain medications such as morphine or Dilaudid, which can cause respiratory depression leading to brain damage or death if not properly monitored. This risk is greatly increased in patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and who may not be using a C-PAP machine in the hospital.

Excessive bleeding may occur undetected. For back surgeries, the bleeding can cause a hematoma that can compress the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing paralysis or bowel and bladder dysfunction. The key to early diagnosis and intervention lies in careful monitoring of the patient by nurses and other hospital personnel.