The Emergency Department Of The Miraculous Regional Health...

Problem (pg. 55) â€Å"Bonnie Bowser, eighty-two years old, fell and severely injured her elbow. She was examined at the Emergency Department of the Miraculous Regional Health System and diagnosed with a fractured olecranon process, and referred to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon who examined Mrs. Bowser scheduled her for corrective surgery the next day. He noted in his examination that she had a past medical history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, two myocardial infarctions with quadruple bypass surgery, and a cerebrovascular accident affecting her left side. She was taking several medications including Lasix (a diuretic), Vasotec (for treatment of hypertension and symptomatic congestive heart failure), Kylotrix (potassium supplement),†¦show more content†¦Standardization is key in hospitals and clinics alike. If a high risk patient such as Bonnie is admitted into an emergency room for a fractured elbow, all of her options should be explained to her. Corrective surgery would be a gr eat option but she needs to be aware of all the risks associated with this procedure and any outcome that could occur. I’m sure if she was told that it is not recommended for someone at her old age or poor health status to undergo surgery, she would have taken more time to think about it. Something this serious should be discussed with family before going through with the procedure. This adverse event should be escalated properly so that the administration and other doctors are aware of the outcome. This death could have been prevented, and others should be able to learn from this. We don’t know the full story from this short problem described in the book, but many questions arise from the situation. Was she completely aware of the risks? Did she know she was not a good candidate for the surgery? Question 2: What system-wide rules will you propose to avoid a repetition of such cases, as the head of your state’s Department of Health? Spearheading from the last question, the regulatory categories pertain to this as well. The provider is responsible for putting the patient’s welfare above anything else, and system-wide rules should