Group Practice Journal
Michael Shabot, M.D. FACS, FCCM, FACMI, is chief medical officer, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston and Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics and the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston.
Michael Warneke, M.D. is medical director of quality, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.
The authors stress the safety benefits of ultrasound visualization are overwhelming to the extent that in 2001 AHRQ identified ultrasound-guided central venous access as an important safety practice meriting widespread use, and that many hospitals have adopted it as a best practice. They discuss Memorial Hermann’s journey to zero patient harm including iatrogenic pneumothorax and central line associated bloodstream infections and how ultrasound effectively addressed those safety problems, helping the institution to achieve their goals.