title: Antimicrobial prescription errors in hospitalized children: role of antimicrobial stewardship program in detection and intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are an effective strategy to ensure that antibiotics are used in accordance with scientific evidence to improve patient outcome, minimize antimicrobial (AM) resistance, and reduce hospital costs. The article describes the impact of the implementation of an ASP on AM prescription errors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, single-center study performed at a tertiary pediatric teaching hospital that actively monitored 13 targeted AMs (amikacin, amphotericin B, cefepime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole, levofloxacin, linezolid, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, tobramycin, vancomycin, and voriconazole) and microbiology data. The ASP was implemented using CareNet and PharmNet. An infectious disease physician and pharmacist determined the need for intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors screened 5564 dispensed prescriptions of the 13 targeted AMs. The rate of AM errors associated with these was 0.09/1000 doses administered and 5 errors/1000 patient days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active surveillance and optimization of computerized physician order entry system allows early detection and intervention of AMs prescriptions errors in hospitalized children.
authors.affiliation: Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours Children's Clinic, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, USA. cdipenti@nemours.org
authors.forename: M Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Di Pentima
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Eppes
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016303:Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents