Medical errors may arise as a result of forgotten central venous catheters (CVC), according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study reports that as many as one in five healthcare workers may not be able to recall whether their patients have central line. Not surprisingly, teaching physicians and hospitalists were more likely to be unaware of the CVC, compared with interns, residents, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This is concerning because a central catheter carries a risk of infection. If an unneeded central line is forgotten, and the patient acquires a blood-borne staph infection that results in injury or death, a claim for medical negligence may exist.
CVCs are a port of entry for Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis infections. One comment to the Annals of Internal Medicine noted that “
The risk of death and injury from bloodstream infection, sepsis, septic shock and organ failure related to central line use was such a concern that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality commissioned research into ways to reduce infection rates. Both the National Patient Safety Goals and recommendations published by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement recommend heightened vigilance to prevent infection and promote early detection of bacteremia (bloodstream infections). One of the recommendations is daily review of the ongoing need for the catheter.
As an Ohio medical malpractice attorney I review numerous medical journals on a regular basis to be on the lookout for malpractice trends and triggers. This latest study points out that we have a long way to go to prevent unnecessary medical errors.
