[Medication errors in pediatric inpatients: a multicentric prospective study].
OBJECTIVE
To improve the knowledge of medication errors in paediatrics: rate of occurrence, error characteristics, risk factors.


METHODS
Our prospective study included nine uninformed teaching paediatric wards (general paediatrics, emergency departments, intensive care units) using a describing questionnaire built from medical reports analysis (event description, medical issues, contributing personal and structural factors) during a two-months period.


RESULTS
Seventy-five questionnaires were collected and analysed. Medical errors reported concerned prescription: 21 cases and administration: 45 cases. Ten errors led to adverse effects. An attributable factor was noted in 39 cases. Concerning prescription errors, no respect to protocol: 11 cases, lack of knowledge: 3 cases, personal communication failure: 3 cases were noted. Concerning administration errors, human mistakes (lack of experience, miscommunication, calculation error): 8 cases, unclear prescription: 6 cases and system flaws: 6 cases were noted. Several attribuable causes were reported in 8 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Medication errors in paediatrics inpatients are common and contributing factors intricated. Paediatricians should help hospitals develop effective programs for safety providing medications, reporting medication errors, errors analysis strategy and creating a safe environment of medication for all hospitalised paediatric patients.
Stheneur
C
C
Service de Pédiatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Ambroise-Paré, 8, Avenue du Général-de-Gaulle, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
Armengaud
J-B
JB
Castro
C
C
Chéron
G
G
Chevallier
B
B
D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005602:France; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations