Neonates intensive care medication errors

The Institute of Medicine (lOM) estimates that between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths annually in the U.S. result from medical errors. While there is some debate about this estimate, it is clear that medication errors are common and result in significant adverse effects, including death. Databases of anonymously reported errors are maintained jointly by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the U.S. Pharmacopeia Medication Errors Reporting Program (USP MERP), and the FDA s MedWatch program. Adverse drug events occm in 3% of hospitalizations, and this number is larger for special populations such as those in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. 

The variation in the error rates was probably due to the differences in the definitions of medication errors, the methodologies used and the settings. For example, the error rate in a neonatal intensive care unit is much higher than that in a general paediatric ward. Furthermore, the systems of prescribing, dispensing and drug administration vary... 

AE, administration error ED, emergency department ME, medication error NICU, neonatal intensive care unit PCICU, paediatric cardiac intensive care unit PICU, paediatric intensive care unit PE, prescribing error PCW, paediatric cardiac ward DE, dispensing error. 

Chedoe I. Molendijk H, Hospes W, Van den Heuvel ER, Taxis K The effect of a multifaceted educational intervention on medication preparation and administration errors in neonatal intensive care. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2012 97 F449-F455. 

Raju TN, Kecskes S, Thornton JP, et al. Medication errors in neonatal and paediatric intensive-care units. Lancet 1989 2 374-376. 

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