Standard drug concentrations and smart-pump technology reduce continuous-medication-infusion errors in pediatric patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if combining standard drug concentrations with "smart-pump" technology reduces reported medication-infusion errors.


METHODS
Preintervention and postintervention comparison of reported medication errors related to infusion therapies during the calendar years 2002 and 2003.


METHODS
A 242-bed university-affiliated tertiary pediatric hospital.


METHODS
Change in continuous-medication-infusion process, comprising the adoption of (1) standard drug concentrations, (2) "smart" syringe pumps, and (3) human-engineered medication labels.


METHODS
Comparison of reported continuous-medication-infusion errors before and after the intervention.


RESULTS
The number of reported errors dropped by 73% for an absolute risk reduction of 3.1 to 0.8 per 1000 doses. Preparation errors that occurred in the pharmacy decreased from 0.66 to 0.16 per 1000 doses; the number of 10-fold errors in dosage decreased from 0.41 to 0.08 per 1000 doses.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of standard drug concentrations, smart syringe pumps, and user-friendly labels reduces reported errors associated with continuous medication infusions. Standard drug concentrations can be chosen to allow most neonates to receive needed medications without concerns related to excess fluid administration.
Primary Children's Medical Center, PICU, PO Box 581289, Salt Lake City, UT 84158-1289, USA. gitte.larsen@hsc.utah.edu
Gitte Y
GY
Larsen
Howard B
HB
Parker
Jared
J
Cash
Mary
M
O'Connell
MaryJo C
MC
Grant
D004348:Drug Labeling; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012308:Risk Management
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations