title: Effect of education on the appropriateness of serum drug concentration determination.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to document the effect of education on the appropriateness of serum drug concentration (SDC) collection. This study included a period of education for hospital personnel involved in the acquisition of drug levels. These included nursing staff, lab personnel, house-staff (residents/interns), ward clerks, and pharmacists. This study included patients receiving aminoglycoside and/or vancomycin while on the general medicine service during the specified study periods. Patients receiving less than 72 h of antimicrobial therapy and patients transferred to or from the surgery service were excluded from the study. A retrospective pre- and posteducation comparison using Chi-square analysis was made to determine whether the percentage of appropriate and useful SDCs was improved through education. There was a significant difference (p less than 0.005) between the percentage of appropriate SDCs in the pre- and posteducation period. As a result of the study, a change in procedure for ordering SDCs was initiated, using an educational program, in order to continue the trend of appropriate SDCs at the Veterans Administration.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Administration Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Stajich
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Miyahara
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014640:Vancomycin