HospitalInspections.org

Based on document review and interview the facility staff failed to ensure the five (5) crash carts in the Emergency Department (ED) were checked daily for 5 of 5 crash carts.

The findings include.

On 4/20/15 at approximately 10:40 A.M. during the initial tour of the ED a crash cart with a respiratory box sitting on top with #6 on the box was observed. The "Daily Code Cart Checklist" for the month of April was found on the cart had 5 days of blanks. The blanks indicated the items on the form, including the defibrillator, oxygen tank, medications, etc had not been checked to ensure they were not expired, that they were working and that all equipment that should be on the cart was in fact on the cart.

A review of the remaining 4 carts including the Broselow Cart for children and adolescents was conducted. The 4 remaining carts also had dates on the "Daily Code Cart Checklist" for April when the carts were not checked. The Broselow cart had 8 of 20 days missing. The other 3 carts had 7 to 14 days missing.

A review of the "Daily Code Cart Checklist" from January 2015 to March 2015 was conducted and revealed the following:
January 2015:
Broselow Cart 2 dates blank
One cart had incomplete documentation (1/20/15)
One cart had 1 date blank
One cart had 2 dates blank

February 2015:
Broselow Cart 7 dates blank
One cart had incomplete documentation on one date (2/1/15) and had 4 blank dates
One cart had 5 dates blank
One cart had 4 dates blank
One cart had 4 dates blank and one date incomplete (2/8/15)

March 2015:
Broselow Cart 5 dates blank
One cart had 5 dates blank
One cart had 4 dates blank
One cart had 5 dates blank and one incomplete date (3/2/15)
One cart had a sheet that had a line drawn through 3/1-20/15 documenting the sheet had been missing. From 3/21/through 31/15 there were 2 dates blank.

Staff Member #6 stated, "We will make sure that does not happen again."

Based on observations and interviews the facility staff failed to ensure patient confidentiality was maintained in the Emergency Department (ED) and on the patient care floors by not leaving patient identification information exposed on unattended computers and EKG machines.

The findings include:

On 4/20/15 at approximately 10:40 a.m. during the initial tour of the ED, 3 different computers in 3 different areas were observed with no staff member in attendance. All 3 computers had patient information open on the screens with patients' names, reason for admission and other personal information. Also observed during the tour was an EKG machine. The EKG machine was located in a room used on occasion as a secondary triage room. The EKG machine had 11 patient names and dates of ordered EKGs exposed on the screen, no staff member was present.

On 4/21/15 at approximately 1:30 P.M. an EKG machine was observed in a alcove on the 4th floor. The EKG machine had 3 patients names and the dates of the ordered EKGs exposed on the unattended screen.

Staff Member #6 stated, "The person using the computers and the EKG machines should have logged off or minimized the screen so the name could not be seen."