Case Presentation: A 42‐year‐old woman with a history of Graves' disease status post thyroidectomy and type II diabetes presented with a 3‐day history of dyspnea on exertion. The patient has also had right‐sided chest pain that was sharp in nature. The chest pain was aggravated by lying down and relieved by sitting up. The patient […]

Background: Obtaining the Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) is the protocolized gold standard in obtaining medication histories and well known to decrease the total number of medication errors during transitions in care. Trained technicians require an average of 15-30 minutes to collect a BPMH [2]. Our facility conducted a categorical analysis and within subject study […]

Background: Medication reconciliation programs are a well-recognized important tool in reducing medication discrepancies and subsequently decreasing patient harm, particularly at transitions of care. Medication reconciliation programs have demonstrated error reductions upward of 66% [1-4]. 39% of prescription medication history errors have the potential to cause moderate or severe discomfort or deterioration in a patient’s condition […]

Case Presentation: The patient was a 71‐year‐old white man with systemic lupus erythematosus who presented with confusion, gait impairment, and left‐sided visual neglect. A brain MRI showed multiple areas of ischemic infarct involving bilateral cerebral hemispheres and left cerebellum. Laboratory workup showed elevated ESR and CRP, decreased complement levels, thrombocytopenia, and positive lupus anticoagulant along […]

Case Presentation: A 55‐year‐old African American man with a medical history of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with aortobiiliac reconstruction was admitted with a chief complaint of dark‐colored stools and fever. On examination, abdominal bruits were heard. An aortoenteric fistula was suspected and an upper endoscopy was performed; this revealed graft material in the third portion […]

Background: With growing importance placed on patient safety, it has become necessary to elevate past processes and rethink rolls for experienced healthcare professionals. One of the primary goals identified by The Joint Commission is to “maintain and communicate accurate patient medication information” to “safely prescribe medications in the future” [1]. This task is often complicated […]

Case Presentation: A 53‐year‐old woman with a history of HIV, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted for diffuse abdominal pain. She had profound diarrhea of 2 days. Eight weeks ago, she was treated for pneumonia with levofloxacin and piperacillin/tazobactam. On examination, patient was well oriented, looked dehydrated, hypotensive (88/50 mm Hg) and tachycardic (120 bpm). […]

Background: Medically complex patients discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are at high risk for unintentional errors, re-hospitalization, and mortality. Commonly reported transitional care errors include poor communication of critical information, limited access to medical records, and lack of clarity as to follow-up plans or patients care goals. Telehealth is increasingly used in […]