A 55-year-old woman is admitted to the intensive care unit after experiencing severe intraoperative anaphylaxis during an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Review of the electronic health record reveals that she has a documented severe anaphylactic allergy to cephalosporins. However, the surgical team bypassed an automated warning and administered prophylactic cefazolin prior to the incision. The patient required epinephrine, corticosteroids, and prolonged mechanical ventilation but is now physiologically stable. The surgical department chair is coordinating the institutional response to this preventable adverse event.
Arrange the following actions in the most appropriate chronological sequence for managing and investigating this sentinel event according to established patient safety protocols.
- 1Ensure the patient is fully physiologically stabilized and transfer her care to the intensive care team.
- 2Notify the hospital's risk management department and secure the involved medication vials and patient records.
- 3Conduct an initial disclosure conversation with the patient's family to explain the known facts and apologize.
- 4Convene a multidisciplinary team to perform a root cause analysis regarding the bypassed electronic health record alert.
- 5Implement a hard-stop forcing function in the electronic health record and communicate the final investigation findings to the family.