Surgical counts are intended to prevent the retention of a sponge, sharp, or instrument during a surgical procedure, yet despite the highly regulated nature of the process, discrepancies in the surgical count occur.

The complexity of the procedures, the use of high-alert medications, and the risk of communication failures during handoffs can contribute to medication errors in the radiologic setting.

Uterine perforation is a known risk of minimally invasive gynecologic procedures, and the physician must thoroughly evaluate patients to identify who is at risk.

To avoid serious or fatal injury from projectiles, magnetic resonance personnel must understand the principles of the projectile effect and properly screen individuals before entering the scanner room for ferromagnetic objects.

Patient Safety Liaison Megan Shetterly, RN, MS, discusses a common theme among Patient Safety Officers in the Northeast Region.

Two Pennsylvania hospitals share success strategies associated with implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s ventilator bundle.

Twelve wrong-site surgeries were reported during the first quarter of 2009 (Q1-2009). In this update, analytical commentary accompanies the report accounts to emphasize previously discussed principles of preventing wrong-site surgery.

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority invited patient safety officers from all reporting facilities in Pennsylvania to participate in a survey initiative to measure the level of adoption of selected safety practices.