Let’s Make Healthcare Great Again!

Listen folks, we’ve got a situation in our ICUs that’s costing us big time. I’m talking about Arterial Blood Gasses (ABGs). They’re important, sure, but they’re taking up 10-20% of all costs. That’s huge! And guess what? A lot of these tests, they’re not even needed. They’re just driving up costs, making stays longer, and putting our patients at risk. Not good!

But here’s the deal: there’s this Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) in a big, fancy academic medical center. They were using ABGs like there’s no tomorrow, accounting for 31% of the hospital’s ABG tests. Can you believe it? Clearly, something had to be done.

So, what did we do? We came up with a brilliant plan. We introduced an algorithm, based on the best evidence out there, to figure out when these ABG tests are really needed. No more guessing, no more waste. And the results? Phenomenal.

After rolling out this plan, educating our staff, and sticking to it for fourteen weeks, we saw an 8.8% reduction in ABG tests. That’s right, we cut down on unnecessary tests and saved a ton of money. And the best part? Our patients are doing better, staying for shorter periods, and we’re seeing improvements in morbidity and mortality rates. It’s a win-win!

Most of the tests we did need were for serious stuff, like checking on patients with extra-corporeal membranous oxygenation or after surgery. We got rid of routine checks that weren’t telling us anything new. And guess what? It worked like a charm.

So, let me tell you, implementing this ABG indication algorithm wasn’t just a good idea; it was a great idea. It’s safe, it’s effective, and it’s saving us a fortune while making sure our patients get the best care. That’s how you make healthcare great again, folks!