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Joint Commission alerts hospitals to opioid dangers for inpatients

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 3, 2012

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Overdose deaths linked to abuse of opioid analgesics have placed scrutiny on outpatient prescribing of the narcotic painkillers, but the drugs also pose risks to hospital patients, the Joint Commission warned in a sentinel event alert issued in August. Opioids can suppress breathing to a deadly extent, the alert said (link).

Nearly half of the opioid-related sentinel events reported to the commission between 2004 and 2011 involved wrong-dose medication errors, and 29% involved improper patient monitoring. The commission said hospitals should screen patients for respiratory depression risk factors such as sleep apnea. Also, hospitals should use health information technology to reduce opioid mix-ups and build in alerts for the painkillers.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/09/03/prbf0903.htm.

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