BACKGROUND: Safe use of intravenous heparin is an important safety goal. OBJECTIVE: To improve the quality of intravenous heparin use. METHODS: A pre-post intervention design assessed the number of patients who reached a therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), time to aPTT goal, and complications. Fifty traditional care patients were compared with 50 nurse-driven intravenous heparin protocol patients. The data were used to assess the effectiveness of a developed intervention package to improve the quality of intravenous heparin use. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of the preintervention group never reached the therapeutic goal compared with 8% in the postintervention group (P < .05). Mean time to achieve first therapeutic aPTT was 18.6 hours in the preintervention group compared with 15.2 hours in the postintervention group (P = .33). Neither group noted complications. CONCLUSIONS: The multidisciplinary team approach produced improved patient care outcomes and important lessons for improving the quality of intravenous heparin use.
BACKGROUND: Safe use of intravenous heparin is an important safety goal. OBJECTIVE: To improve the quality of intravenous heparin use. METHODS: A pre-post intervention design assessed the number of patients who reached a therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), time to aPTT goal, and complications. Fifty traditional care patients were compared with 50 nurse-driven intravenous heparin protocol patients. The data were used to assess the effectiveness of a developed intervention package to improve the quality of intravenous heparin use. RESULTS: Sixteen percent of the preintervention group never reached the therapeutic goal compared with 8% in the postintervention group (P < .05). Mean time to achieve first therapeutic aPTT was 18.6 hours in the preintervention group compared with 15.2 hours in the postintervention group (P = .33). Neither group noted complications. CONCLUSIONS: The multidisciplinary team approach produced improved patient care outcomes and important lessons for improving the quality of intravenous heparin use.
Authors: James W Schurr; Craig A Stevens; Anne Bane; Carol Luppi; Sarah E Culbreth; Amy Leigh Miller; Jean M Connors; Katelyn W Sylvester Journal: Clin Appl Thromb Hemost Date: 2017-08-04 Impact factor: 2.389
Authors: Tanya Williams-Norwood; Megan Caswell; Barbara Milner; Joseph C Vescera; Kelly Prymicz; Amy G Ciszak; Carol Ingle; Christopher Lacey; Evi X Stavrou Journal: AACN Adv Crit Care Date: 2020-06-15