the BRAIN - Shepherd Center

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ICUFeature Photos by Gary Meek Above and Right: Shepherd Center ICU nurses, such as Kim Whitlock, have training in both critical care and rehabilitation. Acquired Brain Injury Program Medical Director Darryl Kaelin, M.D., left, discusses a case wtih Whitlock and Emory University resident Dionne Casthely, M.D. 1 6 Spinal Column w w w. s h e p h e r d . o r g
Un- Adapting to life after a spinal cord injury is no easy task. Unlike other less severe injuries, spinal cord injury (SCI) often comes with a host of other complications – a cascade of health issues that can result from damaged nerves, sudden immobility, loss of sensation and paralysis of the breathing muscles, among others. Some of the most common problems patients may encounter include skin sores, ventilator-assisted pneumonia, and bowel and bladder control issues. It’s important for people with SCI and their loved ones to remember that many of these health issues are not inevitable and can be controlled or managed. Knowing how to recognize, anticipate and treat complications early on is essential for quality patient care and recovery – and has long been a major priority for treatment teams at Shepherd Center. Shepherd’s acute-care capabilities and expert medical staff help resolve SCI-related complications quickly – often simultaneously to starting patients in a coordinated rehabilitation program to maximize recovery and avoid delays. Keys to Success “We spend a lot of time making sure our staff understand the physiology and anatomy of catastrophic injuries,” says Tammy King, RN, chief nurse executive at Shepherd Center. That’s because what appears as “normal” body functioning for any other person is not for someone with a spinal cord injury. “Their bladder functions differently, the skin is at risk for breakdown, and patients who appear normal may actually be cognitively impaired, which means they can’t be relied upon for medical histories,” she says. The sheer volume of patients cared for means Shepherd is accustomed to assessing complications early on and determining what is the “norm” for neurological problems. “One marker of success is our ability to wean patients from the ventilator, a machine that helps them breathe,” King says. “It’s the difference between a patient going around with a machine every day and being able to breathe on his or her own, which is a huge quality-of-life issue – not to mention the additional medical and financial burdens that come with using a ventilator.” In 2008, nearly 86 percent of Shepherd SCI patients with injuries ranging from C-4 to C-7 or T-1 to T-12 were weaned from Shepherd has success in resolving associated health problems in people with spinal cord injury. By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH complicating SCI the ventilator during their inpatient stay at the hospital in an average of 20 days. The hospital also prides itself on low, hospital-acquired infection rates thanks to its dedicated respiratory therapy and nursing staff and rigorous quality control measures, which track the incidence of complications. Shepherd has been able to sustain a no-infection rate in ventilator-associated pneumonia for more than a year. Efforts to prevent the transmission of other hospitalacquired infections (for example, MRSA, a virulent staph infection, and catheter-related bloodstream infections) are taken very seriously. These include education of staff on hand hygiene, proper disinfection of equipment and adhering to protocols to isolate infected patients, among other evidence-based precautions. The intensive care unit (ICU) staff also pays careful attention to the use of antibiotics, which can kill the good bacteria in the body and cause a c. difficile infection in a patient’s intestines. Staff minimizes use of antibiotics to avoid these infections. A Central Resource for Others Because of Shepherd’s success, ICUs and trauma centers at other facilities often call on Shepherd for assistance and best practices to identify complications and prevent common problems. Managing hospitalacquired infections or problems among SCI patients has become increasingly important to other facilities amid new policies by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and managed care organizations. These policies are aimed at reducing “never events,” which are considered serious, preventable and costly Fall 2009 1 7
Page 1 and 2: As Seen on TV ShepherdTV.org offers
Page 3 and 4: Fall2009Contents Photo by Leita Cow
Page 5 and 6: Newly Integrated Sip-and-Puff Syste
Page 7 and 8: HEALING the brain Shepherd Center b
Page 9 and 10: ain injury statistics Shepherd Cent
Page 11 and 12: what you had underneath the jacket.
Page 13 and 14: + CoverStorySidebar Praise on Peach
Page 15 and 16: Photo by Owen Riley Photo by Leita
Page 17: OutreachFeature Building Profession
Page 21 and 22: ShepherdTVFeature Shepherd asked KP
Page 23 and 24: ManagedCareCorner Why Shepherd By C
Page 25 and 26: Why Shepherd Evidence ICU Statistic
Page 27 and 28: interested him. They suggested bask
Page 29 and 30: Q&A Q+A with John Lin, M.D., Associ
Page 31 and 32: nursing program at Georgia Perimete
Page 33 and 34: Partners for Passengers Shepherd’
Page 35 and 36: As examples, Cooper cites money for
Page 37 and 38: A Holiday Gift with Meaning The tru
Page 39 and 40: Junior Committee Preparing for a Me
Page 41 and 42: Alyson Roth: Advocate and Surfing C
Page 43 and 44: LovingTributes Memorials Deceased f
Page 45 and 46: Anita M. Smith Mrs. Frank C. Bowen,

the BRAIN - Shepherd Center

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?