Tansuwannarat P, Vichiensanth P, Sivarak O, Tongpoo A, Promrungsri P, Sriapha C, Wananukul W, Trakulsrichai S. Characteristics and Consequences of Medication Errors in Pediatric Patients Reported to Ramathibodi Poison Center: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.
Ther Clin Risk Manag 2022;
18:669-681. [PMID:
35795851 PMCID:
PMC9252189 DOI:
10.2147/tcrm.s363638]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose
This study was performed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of, consequences of, and factors associated with medication errors (MEs) that cause harm to pediatric patients (<15 years of age) treated in the hospital setting.
Patients and Methods
We performed a 10-year retrospective study (January 2011–December 2020) by analyzing data from the Ramathibodi Poison Center. MEs were classified into categories A to I according to the severity of the outcome.
Results
In total, 121 patients were included in the study. Most (51.24%) patients were male. Their median age was 1 year (range, 1 hour–14 years). Infants, newborns, and toddlers were the three most common age groups in which MEs were reported. Most MEs occurred during the afternoon shift [n = 60 (49.59%)] and in the inpatient department (66.12%). The most common type of MEs was a dose error (64.46%). Antibiotics, sedative agents, and bronchodilators were the three most common classes of ME drugs. Four patients died. Three deaths occurred because of a dose error. One patient was a 1-year-old girl who received an iatrogenic intravenous phenytoin overdose of 10 times the normal dose, resulting in a phenytoin level of 72.4 mcg/mL. She died 22 hours after the ME occurred. The work shift was the only factor that significantly differed between patients with category C and D MEs and those with category E to I MEs.
Conclusion
Small children were at highest risk for MEs. MEs induced harm and deaths in some patients. A preventive and safety system, including appropriate shift work administration, should be emphasized and implemented to prevent and/or decrease the occurrence of MEs.
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