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Mention the word vaccination and most people think of babies, toddlers and school-age children. But as the fact is, adults also need to be vaccinated (when and where appropriate) to keep themselves and their children safe. Unfortunately, far too many adults overlook these lifesaving measures.

Insertion of short peripheral intravenous catheters is an extremely frequent procedure in many healthcare settings. In fact, an estimated 330 million catheters are sold annually in the United States. Nurses are very familiar with the risk of these devices to patients including pain and vein wasting from multiple venipuncture attempts, nerve damage resulting in complex regional pain syndrome, inadvertent arterial insertion producing amputation with the injection of certain medications, infiltration and extravasation producing the need for surgical treatment, and thrombophlebitis requiring extended treatment with anticoagulants.

Pressure ulcers have become more prevalent in hospitals and nursing homes in the last decade, even though preventative protocols backed by clinical research have been shown to be effective. Pressure ulcers, also known as decubitus ulcers, are skin lesions associated with pressure, moisture, and other factors. They can affect any area of skin and are especially common on the sacral area, greater trochanter, heels and other areas with bony prominences. Without adequate blood flow, the affected tissue dies.  If not properly treated these ulcers can evolve into deep wounds that go down to the bone and lead to serious and potentially life-threatening infections.

Theres no question the healthcare industry is at a critical juncture. The pressure on healthcare providers to offer value without sacrificing quality has never been greater. But for change to happen, the responsibility to find innovative solutions to reduce costs and increase quality care must be shared equally by all stakeholders, including hospital executives, staff members and suppliers. With reform imminent and budgetary pressures mounting, the time for action is now. Its no longer enough for hospitals to implement short-term solutions such as staff or service cutbacks. To reduce healthcare costs without compromising the delivery of care, hospitals must devise and execute long-term, fully integrated sustainability solutions.