Question

Review an article related to a sentinel perioperative event. Be sure to summarize the article. Include the following:

1. What is a sentinel event?

2.Give background information on the patient (i.e. age, past medical history, admitting diagnosis).

3. Discuss the cause of the sentinel event, if it resulted in any complications (i.e. injury, trauma, death).

4. Discuss preventable measures related to this event (i.e. raise side rails, review of 5 rights of medication administration, etc.)

5. What did you learn from the article?

Answer 1

1. A sentinel event is defined as any unanticipated event in a healthcare setting resulting in death or serious physical or psychological injury to a patient or patients, not related to the natural course of the patient's illness.

2. The patient's name is Jen . He is 56 years old . He is a security guard at the shopping complex . Has a history of drinking alcohol for 22years . And he has developed chronic liver cirrhosis . He doesn't maintain compliance to the medications and regular checkup and his disease has worsened .

3. As a complication of liver cirrhosis he has developed hepatic failure leading to the need for transplant for which they were not ready as they were not that much financially stable resulting in sentinel event.

4. Preventable measures related to this event are :-

- cessation of alcohol intake

- compliance to medications and regular checkup