A Comparison of Error Rates Between Intravenous Push Methods: A Prospective, Multisite, Observational Study

Detecting clinical medication errors with AI enabled wearable cameras

Drug-related errors are a leading cause of preventable patient harm in the clinical setting. We present the first wearable camera system to automatically detect potential errors, prior to medication delivery. We demonstrate that using deep learning algorithms, our system can detect and classify drug labels on syringes and vials in drug preparation events recorded in real-world operating rooms. We created a first-of-its-kind large-scale video dataset from head-mounted cameras comprising 4K footage across 13 anesthesiology providers, 2 hospitals and 17 operating rooms over 55 days. The system was evaluated on 418 drug draw events in routine patient care and a controlled environment and achieved 99.6% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity at detecting vial swap errors. These results suggest that our wearable camera system has the potential to provide a secondary check when a medication is selected for a patient, and a chance to intervene before a potential medical error.

Assessing the Costs of Intravenous Push Waste in Intraoperative Areas Through Observation: A Multi-site Study

INTRODUCTION

The costs associated with proper disposal, management, and regulatory compliance of controlled substances in healthcare systems are substantial. In the context of the current opioid crisis, and given the high abuse potential of controlled substances, it is imperative that waste is minimized and waste procedures are followed to ensure safe disposal of controlled substances. This study aims to quantify the costs associated with fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, midazolam, and ketamine waste in intraoperative areas through a multi-site observational analysis.

METHODS

The study used an observational design across various hospital procedural and post-procedural units in the Southwest Florida region of the United States. Automated and non-automated workflows for wasting controlled substances were compared. As with a previous study conducted by Hertig et al., waste was evaluated as (1) the quantity (mg/μg) of medication disposed defined as 'pharmaceutical waste' or 'product waste' (PW); and (2) workforce time associated with the waste disposal process defined as 'workforce time waste' (WTW). Secondary measures include workforce costs associated with the waste disposal process. The product waste analysis was conducted between October and December 2023. The workforce time waste analysis was examined over a 10-day period in January and February 2024. A yearly extrapolation model was applied to cost data.

RESULTS

The findings revealed substantial costs linked to both PW and WTW, emphasizing the financial burden of controlled substance waste. Study data validated previous literature describing the extent of fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine waste while documenting significant amounts of midazolam and ketamine waste. The combined annual waste cost for the two study hospitals was estimated at US$56,557, with workforce time accounting for 36%-50% of this total cost.

CONCLUSION

This study provides vital insights into the financial and operational impact of medication waste in procedural and post-procedural areas, supporting ongoing efforts to minimize waste, ensuring the safe and effective use of controlled substances. Future research should explore the impact of medication waste across diverse healthcare settings and the cost implications associated with pharmacy professionals in the waste compliance process.

Assessing the Clinical, Economic, and Health Resource Utilization Impacts of Prefilled Syringes Versus Conventional Medication Administration Methods: Results From a Systematic Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review was to assess the clinical, economic, and health resource utilization outcomes associated with the use of prefilled syringes in medication administration compared with traditional preparation methods.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate outcomes such as medication errors, wastage, time savings, and contamination in prefilled syringes. Our search encompassed multiple databases, including PubMed and Embase, for studies published between January 1, 2017, and November 1, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Peer-reviewed publications meeting our inclusion criteria underwent rigorous screening, including title, abstract, and full-text article assessments, performed by two reviewers.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Among reviewed articles, 24 met our eligibility criteria. Selected studies were primarily observational (46%) and conducted in Europe (46%). Our findings indicated that prefilled syringes consistently reduced medication errors (by 10%-73%), adverse events (from 1.1 to 0.275 per 100 administrations), wastage (by up to 80% of drug), and preparation time (from 4.0 to 338.0 seconds) (ranges varied by drug type, setting, and dosage). However, there was limited data on contamination. Economically, prefilled syringes reduced waste and error rates, which may translate into overall savings.

RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

This review highlights the value of prefilled syringes, which can streamline medication delivery, save nursing time, and reduce preventable medication errors. Moreover, prefilled syringes have the potential to minimize medication wastage, optimizing resource utilization and efficiency in health care settings.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

Our findings provide new insights into clinical and economic benefits of prefilled syringe adoption. These benefits include improved medication delivery and safety, which can lead to time and cost reductions for health care departments, hospitals, and health systems. However, further real-world research on clinical and economic outcomes, especially in contamination, is needed to better understand the benefits of prefilled syringes.

Evolution of Intravenous Medication Errors and Preventive Systemic Defenses in Hospital Settings-A Narrative Review of Recent Evidence

OBJECTIVES

Intravenous drug administration has been associated with severe medication errors in hospitals. The present narrative review is based on a systematic literature search, and aimed to describe the recent evolution in research on systemic causes and defenses in intravenous medication errors in hospitals.

METHODS

This narrative review was based on Reason's theory of systems-based risk management. A systematic literature search covering the period from June 2016 to October 2021 was conducted on Medline (Ovid). We used the search strategy and selection criteria developed for our previous systematic reviews. The included articles were analyzed and compared to our previous reviews.

RESULTS

The updated search found 435 articles. Of the 63 included articles, 16 focused on systemic causes of intravenous medication errors, and 47 on systemic defenses. A high proportion (n = 24, 38%) of the studies were conducted in the United States or Canada. Most of the studies focused on drug administration (n = 21/63, 33%) and preparation (n = 19/63, 30%). Compared to our previous review of error causes, more studies (n = 5/16, 31%) utilized research designs with a prospective risk management approach. Within articles related to systemic defenses, smart infusion pumps remained most widely studied (n = 10/47, 21%), while those related to preparation technologies (n = 7/47, 15%) had increased.

CONCLUSIONS

This narrative review demonstrates a growing interest in systems-based risk management for intravenous drug therapy and in introducing new technology, particularly smart infusion pumps and preparation systems, as systemic defenses. When introducing new technologies, prospective assessment and continuous monitoring of emerging safety risks should be conducted.

Successful implementation of safe practice for adult intravenous push medication in a tertiary care hospital: determination of stability of four intravenous antibiotics in syringes

In 2017, a severe shortage of infusion bags resulted in a paradigm change in medication administration practice from intermittent infusion to intravenous push. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices proposed safe practice guidelines for adult intravenous push medications. A different study showed that ready-to-administer medication prepared in the sterile area of a pharmacy reduces the risk of harm, nurses' time for medication administration and the cost of medications. Based on the recommendation of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, we decided to conduct a pilot study on the implementation of sterile compounding and administration of intravenous push medication in adult patients admitted to the hospital. In the study, the stability of five intravenous push antibiotic syringes was also determined in the syringes.

A Cost-Effectiveness Study Comparing Ready-to-Administer and Traditional Vial-and-Syringe Method for Opioids

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop a cost-effectiveness model for manufacturer-prepared prefilled ready-to-administer (RTA) syringe products versus the traditional vial-and-syringe administration of intravenous (IV) opioids.

METHODS

Cost parameters included cost of manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product, traditional vial and syringe, drug preparation, drug administration, drug waste, and severity of error. Effectiveness endpoint included number of preparation and administration errors in each comparator arm. Simple decision tree was used, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the reduction in the incremental errors per observation with RTA compared with traditional vial-and-syringe method. One-way sensitivity analysis (OWSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were conducted to test the robustness of the model. TreeAge Pro software was used to create and analyze the decision model. All the cost parameters were converted to USD 2021.

RESULTS

Base-case analysis showed that the cost of the RTA arm was lower by $182.61 and the number of errors in the RTA arm was lower by 94%, compared with the traditional vial-and-syringe arm. The manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product was found to be cost-effective with an incremental savings of $22,554 per additional error avoided. Sensitivity analysis showed that ICER value was most sensitive to the probability of errors; however, the results were robust in showing that RTA is the preferred cost-effective option, when both the costs and effectiveness parameters were varied substantially.

CONCLUSION

This economic evaluation  analyzed costs of using manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product IV opioids and incremental benefits in terms of reduced errors, adverse events, and their associated costs. Manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product was found to be cost-effective, demonstrating cost savings by reduction in the error rates. Integrating and adopting RTA syringe products within a health system could play an important role in improving care, building efficiency, increasing patient safety, and saving money.

Intranasal Fentanyl for On-the-Hill Analgesia by Ski Patrol

INTRODUCTION

Intranasal fentanyl offers a means for safe and effective pain management in austere environments. Prehospital analgesia traditionally involves intravenous or intramuscular medication. However, for wilderness rescuers, these methods are often impractical.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of health records to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intranasal fentanyl administered by EMT-Basic certified ski patrollers. Our primary aim was to measure the reduction in initial pain scores to subsequent measurements at 5, 10, and 15 min using the pain numeric rating scale (0-10). Clinically significant reduction in severe pain has been established as ≥1.8 points. We used paired t-tests and multilevel modeling to measure statistical significance and potential interactions and reviewed patient charts for adverse events, including respiratory depression or the use of naloxone.

RESULTS

We compiled the results from the winter seasons for 2007 through 2012 and 2016 through 2020. A total of 247 patients were included. The initial pain score was 8.6±1.5 (mean±SD). The decrease in pain scores from 0 to 5, 10, and 15 min, respectively, was -1.8, -2.4, and -2.9 (P<0.0001), which demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant decrease in pain scores. There were no adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Traditional standard of care analgesics are invasive, elongate scene times, and increase the risk of environmental exposure and provider needlestick. Intranasal fentanyl offers a safe, noninvasive, and rapid analgesia that is well-suited for austere winter environments, such as those encountered at ski resorts. This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of the administration of intranasal fentanyl by EMT-Basic certified providers.

Why the Utilization of Ready-to-Administer Syringes During High-Stress Situations Is More Important Than Ever

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a high-stress environment causing a significant impact on frontline workers, including pharmacists and nurses. In addition to the increased workload, scarcity of resources, and emotional challenges, the frontline health care workers are required to wear additional personal protective equipment that can further limit their range of movement and decrease efficiency. The potential for errors can increase in these types of high-stress situations. One way to reduce the risk of errors is to use manufacturer-prepared, ready-to-administer (RTA) prefilled syringes, when appropriate. The use of RTA prefilled syringes is supported by literature evidence, recommendations, and guidelines from various professional organizations and societies.

Systemic Causes of In-Hospital Intravenous Medication Errors: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Delivery of intravenous medications in hospitals is a complex process posing to systemic risks for errors. The aim of this study was to identify systemic causes of in-hospital intravenous medication errors.

METHODS

A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was conducted. We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, CINAHL, and EMB reviews for articles published between January 2005 and June 2016. Peer-reviewed journal articles published in English were included. Two reviewers independently selected articles according to a predetermined PICO tool. The quality of studies was assessed using the GRADE system and the evidence analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven studies from six countries were included in the analysis. We identified systemic causes related to prescribing (n = 6 studies), preparation (n = 6), administration (n = 6), dispensing and storage (n = 5), and treatment monitoring (n = 2). Administration, prescribing, and preparation were the process phases most prone to systemic errors. Insufficient actions to secure safe use of high-alert medications, lack of knowledge of the drug, calculation tasks, failure in double-checking procedures, and confusion between look-alike, sound-alike medications were the leading causes of intravenous medication errors. The number of the included studies was limited, all of them being observational studies and graded as low quality.

CONCLUSIONS

Current intravenous medication systems remain vulnerable, which can result in patient harm. Our findings suggest further focus on medication safety activities related to administration, prescribing, and preparation of intravenous medications. This study provides healthcare organizations with preliminary knowledge about systemic causes of intravenous medication errors, but more rigorous evidence is needed.

A Continuous Observation Workflow Time Study to Assess Intravenous Push Waste

Background: There are significant costs associated with proper controlled substance disposal, management, and regulatory compliance. Given the high abuse potential of fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine it is imperative that (1) product waste is minimized; and (2) waste procedures are followed to ensure safe disposal. Research is needed to better understand the financial and workforce impacts of drug waste on inpatient hospital units. The primary objective of this study was to quantify the waste associated with administering fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine via the intravenous push route. Two categories of waste were evaluated: (1) the quantity (mg/µg) of drug disposed; and (2) workforce time associated with the waste disposal process. Methods: A workflow time study design, a sub-set of continuous direct observation time motion studies, was employed to achieve the research objectives. A data collection tool was developed to capture medication type, waste amount, activity time stamps, total time, and number of interruptions at two separate study sites. Descriptive statistics were conducted on all the data measures. The number of assessments, total values, and mean values were reported for each drug (fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine) separately as well as grouped data. Results: A total of 669 distinct waste observations meeting inclusion criteria were collected during a study period of 15 days. In total, 207 mg of hydromorphone and 17 962.50 µg of fentanyl were wasted during this study. Nursing staff time associated with the wasting process totaled 50 990 seconds (849.83 minutes or 14.16 hours). A combined waste (loss) of approximately $1605.39 was associated with controlled substance wasting. The cost per dose wasted in this study was found to be $2.40 for all medications. When a yearly extrapolation model was applied to the four study units, the total combined product and workforce waste cost was $35 425. Conclusion: There are financially significant costs associated with wasting both the product and the valuable time of a skilled workforce. Optimizing product size, taking special note to match product availability with common practice use, would reduce the associated financial burden on our health-systems nationwide.

Investigation of interventions to reduce nurses' medication errors in adult intensive care units: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Medication errors in adult intensive care units (ICUs) are both frequent and harmful. For nurses, these errors may be multifactorial and multidisciplinary, extending from prescription stage to monitoring of patient response to medication. Therefore, diverse interventions have been developed to optimise the medication process to prevent such errors.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this systematic review was to identify research investigating interventions that may be effective in reducing the rate of nurses' medication errors in adult ICUs.

METHODS

A systematic search was undertaken of three databases: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and EMCARE using a combination of key terms related to "medication errors", "nurses", "interventions", and "intensive care units". The search was limited to studies published in English between 2009 and 2019. Independent screening, quality appraisal, and data extraction were undertaken by two reviewers.

RESULTS

A total of 464 records were identified from database searches. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria: ten were quasi-experimental designs and one was a randomised controlled trial. Studies examined six types of interventions: prefilled syringes, barcode-assisted medication administration, an automated dispensing system, nursing education programs, a protocolised program logic form, and a preventive interventions program with protocols and pharmacist-supported supervision and monitoring. Findings revealed that a prefilled syringe, nurses' education programs, and the protocolised program logic form were most effective in reducing medication errors. For the barcode-assisted medication administration, automated dispensing systems, and a preventive interventions program with protocols and pharmacist-supported supervision and monitoring, results showed wide variability in effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

This review found that the evidence for effective interventions to reduce nurses' medication errors in adult ICUs is limited, due largely to inconsistencies in research design and methods. Therefore, further studies such as randomised controlled trials focusing on a single intervention are required to provide robust evidence of the effectiveness of interventions.

Give Intravenous Bolus Overdose a Brake: User Experience and Perception of Safety Device

OBJECTIVES

Drugs can come in concentrated solutions that require dilution before intravenous bolus administration. Upon dilution, the syringe can contain more than the required amount of drug. The user may mistakenly administer the full contents of the syringe, resulting in an overdose. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated user experience and perception of Syringe Brake, a dosage flow restrictor device, as part of the intravenous morphine bolus administration workflow.

METHODS

From December 2018 to January 2019, doctors and nurses working in the emergency department of 3 public tertiary hospitals in Singapore were invited to complete a paper-based 11-item 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaire after 3 months of Syringe Brake implementation.

RESULTS

Overall, 77.5% (290/374; 4.11 ± 0.83) of participants were satisfied with the use of Syringe Brake to prevent medication error. Our survey results showed that the top features of Syringe Brake were ease of setting the desired volume to be administered (86.1%; 4.21 ± 0.72), allowing the drug to be titrated safely (84.8%; 4.26 ± 0.77), and giving users the confidence to avoid overdosing the patient (82.1%; 4.21 ± 0.78). Those with hands-on experience with Syringe Brake rated significantly higher for all survey statements except on the perceived ability to prevent error arising from miscommunication (adjusted odds ratio, 1.58 [0.98-2.57]; P = 0.062).

CONCLUSIONS

Syringe Brake shows promising potential for adoption to prevent medication errors. The device serves as a constraint to prevent accidental overdose, caused by user unfamiliarity or autopilot administration.

Risk of Patient Harm Related to Unnecessary Dilution of Ready-to-Administer Prefilled Syringes: A Literature Review

Unnecessary dilution of ready-to-administer (RTA) syringes could increase the risk of patient harm attributed to errors related to incorrect dose, improper labeling, and the potential for microbial contamination. Although published guidelines endorse the use of commercially available RTA syringes, recent surveys indicate that best practices are not always implemented. The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature and to assess the incidence and nature of errors related to the unnecessary dilution of RTA intravenous (IV) push medications in the inpatient clinical setting. The PubMed database was searched to identify studies of errors related to the use of RTA syringes for IV push medications within the last 10 years. An additional search was conducted using other search engines to identify relevant articles in the grey literature. This literature review concludes that unnecessary dilution of IV push medication in RTA syringes is an unsafe practice that occurs routinely. This practice increases the risk of patient harm through errors related to incorrect dose, improper labeling of syringes, and the potential for microbial contamination of the product. Greater awareness of the risks associated with unnecessary dilution of RTA syringes is still needed to eliminate this unsafe IV push medication administration practice and to thereby further improve outcomes.

Practices and perceptions regarding intravenous opioid infusion and cancer pain management

BACKGROUND

In view of the recent opioid crisis, ways to promote safe and effective opioid-related practices are needed. Faster intravenous (iv) opioid infusion rates can result in increased adverse effects and risk for nonmedical opioid use. Data on best practices regarding safe iv opioid administration for cancer pain are limited. This study examined iv opioid bolus infusion practices and perceptions about opioids in cancer pain among 4 groups of inpatient oncology nurses.

METHODS

An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among oncology nurses working in medical, surgical, intensive care unit (ICU), and emergency department (ED) settings. An iv opioid bolus infusion speed less than 120 seconds was considered too fast.

RESULTS

The participant response rate was 59% (731 of 1234). Approximately 58%, 54%, and 58% of all nurses administered morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl, respectively, in less than 120 seconds. The median morphine infusion speeds were 55, 60, 60, and 85 seconds for ICU, surgical, ED, and medical unit nurses, respectively (P = .0002). The odds ratios for infusing too fast were 2.04 and 2.52 for ED (P = .039) and ICU nurses (P = .003), respectively, in comparison with medical unit nurses, and they were 0.27 and 0.18 with frequent (P = .003) and very frequent use of a timing device (P = .0001), respectively, in comparison with no use.

CONCLUSIONS

More than half the nurses working in the inpatient setting reported administering iv opioids too fast. ICU nurses administered opioids the fastest. Nurses who frequently used a timing device were less likely to infuse too fast. Further research is needed to standardize and improve the safe intermittent administration of iv opioids to patients with cancer.