Exeter Hospital Revises Cardiac Catheter Lab Procedures

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After an investigation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the state’s Department of Health and Human Services found that the hospital failed to meet generally accepted standards of procedure in its cardiac catheterization lab, Exeter Hospital has announced that it will revise its procedures.
In their filing of deficiencies, Exeter Hospital failed to secure syringes used in the lab. According to Cardiovascular Business, “In the filing of deficiencies, CMS and the HHS claimed that cath lab personnel left syringes with controlled medications on a medication cart while they put on lead aprons.

“Staff D [nursing] was asked during that time if the medications that were drawn up were in their possession or left on top of the Pyxis machine (medication cart),” according to the statement of deficiencies. “Staff D confirmed that the medications were left on the Pyxis machine when putting on the lead apron. Staff D stated that other co-workers are in the procedure area during this time including the cardiac cath technicians (who do not have the authority to handle medications). Staff D did state after the interview, ‘probably not the best practice.’”

Mark Abramson
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