Archive for safety
‘I’ve got your back’: Insight on social distancing from a Boston Children’s mom
How are you? If you’re feeling frayed with worry about pretty much every aspect of your life, then we’re in the same boat. Today’s new ‘normal,’ with ever-changing information to process and restrictions on our daily lives, leaves us all feeling physically exhausted by stress yet unable to rest and regroup. Instead, we feel a deep ... Read More
Coronavirus: Ensuring patient and staff safety during the pandemic
As the coronavirus and COVID-19 infection continues to spread through the Boston area, we’ve heard many questions and concerns from patients and their families about safety at Boston Children’s Hospital. We thought it might be helpful to answer the most commonly asked questions here. If you’d like more information about Boston Children’s response to COVID-19, ... Read More
Child access prevention laws spare gun deaths in children
Child access prevention (CAP) laws are on the books in half of U.S. states. They are meant to protect children from accessing firearms by holding a parent or guardian responsible for the actions or potential actions a child takes with a firearm. New research from Boston Children’s Hospital finds that U.S. states with CAP laws ... Read More
How do you implement change? Lessons from a QI project in the NICU
Kristen Leeman, MD, is Director of Quality in the Division of Newborn Medicine and Associate Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital. What if you were taught to do things a certain way, the way things were always done, and then a randomized clinical trial comes out supporting a different ... Read More
Natural language processing captures new insights on patient safety
Safety monitoring at Boston Children’s Hospital is getting even more thorough, thanks to natural language processing systems. Aided by machine-learning algorithms, these systems are capturing problems that clinicians didn’t explicitly flag through a safety reporting system, but documented in their notes. The net result is further opportunities to improve care. Natural language processing, or NLP, ... Read More
Beware probiotics in ICU patients
It’s become common for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), both children and adults, to receive probiotics. Often, they are started at home to counteract diarrhea caused by antibiotics. There is also interest in using probiotics proactively in the ICU. A large multicenter clinical trial in Canada is testing whether probiotics would prevent ventilator-associated ... Read More
Going back to school with a chronic condition
Going back to school can be a time of excitement for many families: Your kids are looking forward to reconnecting with their friends — and you’re looking forward to watching them learn and grow. But for caregivers of children and teens with chronic or complex conditions, preparing for a new school year involves much more ... Read More
Protect your kids from dog bites: Tips from the experts
Protect your kids from dog bits: advice from experts at Boston Children's Department of Plastic Surgery and from the Weston Veterinary Clinic.
Guide to car seat safety
Proper use of car seats and seat belts reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than 50 percent. This guide to car seat safety illustrates proper car seat etiquette for children under 1 year old to children using booster seats.
Top tips for water safety
As summer approaches, families head outdoors for fun ways to beat the heat. One of the most cherished summertime activities is swimming — whether in a pool, lake or beach. But each summer, it’s important to remind ourselves of the sobering statistic that drowning ranks among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the U.S. ... Read More