August Issue of AHRQ Web M&M Discusses Lapses in Lab Test Result Follow-up

AHRQ WebM&M: Morbidity & Mortality Rounds on the Web

August Issue of AHRQ Web M&M Discusses Lapses in Lab Test Result Follow-up  

The August issue of AHRQ Web M&M features a Spotlight Case on a 10-year-old patient who underwent lab tests to determine the cause of an unexplained weight loss. Although the lab tests revealed an abnormally high blood glucose level, neither the child’s pediatrician nor the covering physician saw the results until the child and her mother returned to the clinic four days later. By that time, the child’s glucose levels were dangerously high and urinalysis showed early signs of diabetic ketoacidosis. A commentary on the case is provided by Carlton Moore, M.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The Perspectives on Safety section features an interview with Nicholas Castle, Ph.D., an expert on patient safety in long-term care facilities at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Health Policy and Management. Physicians and nurses can receive free CME, CEU, or training certification by taking the Spotlight Quiz. Select to access AHRQ’s Web M&M site.