Five updates.
One safer acute take.

SAFETY ALERTPATIENT SAFETYNEW · YESTERDAY

Pause and check every hoist before the patient is fully lifted

What changedA new MHRA National Patient Safety Alert follows continuing fatal and serious falls from hoists and slings. It requires a pause-and-check after initial load take-up, plus verified hoist–sling compatibility and up-to-date maintenance.

WHY IT MATTERSFrail and dependent patients are transferred throughout acute hospitals, and unsafe attachments or incompatible equipment can cause fatal falls.

DO DIFFERENTLYBefore a hoist transfer, confirm the sling, attachment points and equipment compatibility; pause while the sling is taut but before the patient is fully lifted.

SAFETY ALERTNEUROLOGY & GASTROENTEROLOGYCURRENT UK SAFETY ADVICE

Consider mesalazine when assessing possible intracranial hypertension

What changedThe MHRA added idiopathic intracranial hypertension warnings to all mesalazine product information after very rare reports. Symptoms include progressive or recurrent headache, visual disturbance and pulsatile tinnitus.

WHY IT MATTERSPatients taking mesalazine may present to the acute take with headache or visual symptoms where the medication link is easily missed.

DO DIFFERENTLYCheck for mesalazine exposure, assess urgently for IIH when symptoms fit, involve the relevant specialist teams and consider stopping mesalazine with its prescriber.

SAFETY ALERTHAEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGYCURRENT UK ALERT

Do not delay rasburicase in high-risk tumour lysis syndrome

What changedAn NHS England National Patient Safety Alert requires emergency departments and cancer services to reduce delays in rasburicase for high-risk tumour lysis syndrome, including reliable risk assessment and medicine availability.

WHY IT MATTERSTumour lysis syndrome is a time-critical metabolic emergency that may first be recognised on an acute medical unit or in the emergency department.

DO DIFFERENTLYRecognise high-risk TLS early, activate the local emergency pathway and obtain rasburicase without avoidable pharmacy or operational delay.

CURRENT UK PRACTICERESPIRATORYCURRENT UK GUIDANCE

Do not discharge an asthma patient on SABA-only treatment

What changedUK guidance no longer recommends short-acting beta-2 agonist monotherapy in asthma. MHRA highlights increased severe exacerbation, hospitalisation and mortality risk with SABA overuse.

WHY IT MATTERSThe acute attendance is an opportunity to identify repeated reliever use and unsafe absence of anti-inflammatory treatment.

DO DIFFERENTLYCheck reliever use and preventer therapy before discharge; ensure an inhaled corticosteroid-containing plan and prompt review in line with the current UK pathway.

CURRENT UK PRACTICEACUTE PAINCURRENT UK SAFETY ADVICE

Do not use prolonged-release opioids for acute postoperative pain

What changedThe postoperative-pain indication has been removed from prolonged-release opioid licences because of persistent opioid use and opioid-induced ventilatory impairment. Transdermal patches are also not recommended for postoperative pain.

WHY IT MATTERSAcute physicians frequently review postoperative deterioration, sedation and discharge prescriptions in patients with respiratory or renal risk factors.