Quality improvement and public health--tetanus immunization in the emergency department

The administration of tetanus toxoid vaccine to both adults and children represents an often neglected, but medically necessary procedure for patients who receive traumatic injuries to nature's natural surface barrier, the skin. While performing retrospective chart reviews, the collaborative practice environment fostered in the Emergency Department at Reston Hospital Center, (wherein the physician and nursing staff are schooled in Deming's Quality Improvement-FOCUS-PDCA-methodology, and the concepts of "patient care clinical process ownership," and "professional job enlargement and job enrichment" diffuse throughout the Emergency Services Systems design), identified a potential problem with tetanus immunization related to existing standing orders. Initial data collection utilized count-between methodology. Over a 31-day period, 216 patients who required tetanus immunization were identified. Appropriate tetanus toxoid administration was "missed" 20 times, with a median of 9 appropriate tetanus immunizations before an administration was "missed." Flow chart analysis of the tetanus toxioid administration process identified the sources of variation of that process. A pilot PDCA cycle was instituted to redefine the process, control the variability, and measure the results. Upon completion of the third PDCA cycle of 31 days, 367 patients were identified who required tetanus immunization. Appropriate tetanus toxoid administration was "missed" 3 times with a median of 120 appropriate tetanus immunizations before an administration was "missed." Conclusions include: a) The appearance of special cause variation, (diaster situations), must be recognized as having the potential to disrupt healthcare process improvements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)