Purpose To describe the concurrent incidence of pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, and falls in hospitals and nursing homes, and the preventive care given. Additionally, the correlation between the occurrence of these adverse events and preventive care was explored. Design and Settings A prospective, …

The Nociception Coma Scale (NCS) is a pain observation tool, developed for patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) due to acquired brain injury (ABI). The aim of this study was to assess the interrater reliability of the NCS and NCS-R among nurses for the assessment of pain in ABI patients with …

A growing number of older patients undergo cardiac surgery. Some of these patients are at increased risk of post-operative functional decline, potentially leading to reduced quality of life and autonomy, and other negative health outcomes. First step in prevention is to identify patients at risk of functional …

The IT-monitor gives an overview on the use and implementation of information technology (IT) in general and university hospitals in the Netherlands. Using the questionnaire, earlier applied in Germany and Austria, all Dutch hospitals were requested to participate, of which 20% responded. The results …

The implementation of rapid response systems (RRS) is based on the knowledge that deteriorating physiological processes are frequently present for hours or days before clear clinical deterioration is recognized [1,2]. It is assumed that this physiological deterioration is often treatable and that treatment …

The objective was to study the prevalence of eighteen geriatric conditions in older patients at admission, their reporting rate in discharge summaries and the impact of these conditions on mortality and functional decline one year after admission. A prospective multicenter cohort study conducted between …

To explore parents' and nurses' experiences with the transition of infants from the neonatal intensive care unit to a special care nursery. Qualitative explorative study in two phases. Level IIID neonatal intensive care unit in a university hospital and special care nurseries (level II) in five community …

Hospital staff frequently has to cope with complex information, unpredictable circumstances, and prompt decision making. In such an environment, even the “Gods in white” are susceptible to fatigue and error. Noncompliance with hand hygiene guidelines in hospitals is one of these errors and enhances the …

To reduce unintentional and avoidable adverse events in patients in hospitals in the Netherlands, a patient safety agency (VMS) programme was launched in 2008. Among the VMS topics, the programme optimal therapy in severe sepsis, according to the international Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC), aims to …

Patient care guidelines are usually implemented one at a time, yet patients are at risk for multiple, often preventable, adverse events simultaneously. This study aimed to test the effect of the SAFE or SORRY? programme on the incidence of three adverse events (pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections …