AAMI Creates Glossary to Help End Confusion Surrounding 'Adverse Event' Terms
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has created a glossary of terms and suggested meanings related to adverse events.
The glossary, available for free at www.aami.org/utti/glossary, was created by AAMIs Clinical Engineering Management Committee (CEMC) to help end confusion about terms that have multiple meanings and definitions.
"The communication related to device safety is not common," says Yadin David, director of Biomedical Engineering Consultants LLC in Houston, Texas. "We use different terms for different conditions, which has created confusion. Overall, it does not make our field able to focus on the real issues surrounding device safety."
David, who chaired the subcommittee that created the glossary, says he hopes that it will lead to more accurate reporting from healthcare technology management professionals on adverse events related to devices, and result in better research and data on problems surrounding certain devices.
"By improving communication, we could help to move toward better device safety," he says.
The glossary features about 400 terms collected from various sources and references including the FDA, National Cancer Institute Thesaurus, Global Medical Device Nomenclature, ECRI Institute, and the International Organization for Standardization.
A panel of outside experts and the FDA also reviewed the terms and gave feedback. David says that the CEMC plans to create additional glossaries on other subjects, ranging from terms used in job descriptions to biomed management practices.
APIC Salutes 2025 Trailblazers in Infection Prevention and Control
June 18th 2025From a lifelong mentor to a rising star, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) honored leaders across the career spectrum at its 2025 Annual Conference in Phoenix, recognizing individuals who enhance patient safety through research, leadership, and daily practice.
Building Infection Prevention Capacity in the Middle East: A 7-Year Certification Success Story
June 17th 2025Despite rapid development, the Middle East faces a critical shortage of certified infection preventionists. A 7-year regional initiative has significantly boosted infection control capacity, increasing the number of certified professionals and elevating patient safety standards across health care settings.
Streamlined IFU Access Boosts Infection Control and Staff Efficiency
June 17th 2025A hospital-wide quality improvement project has transformed how staff access critical manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs), improving infection prevention compliance and saving time through a standardized, user-friendly digital system supported by unit-based training and interdepartmental collaboration.
Swift Isolation Protocol Shields Chicago Children’s Hospital During 2024 Measles Surge
June 17th 2025When Chicago logged its first measles cases linked to crowded migrant shelters last spring, one pediatric hospital moved in hours—not days—to prevent the virus from crossing its threshold. Their playbook offers a ready template for the next communicable-disease crisis.
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
