title: [Intravenous drug preparation errors in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A potential source of adverse events].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the rate of errors during preparation of intravenous drugs in a regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study was performed on 24 non-consecutive working days. The vancomycin and tobramycin solutions administered were analysed to determine drug concentrations. We defined 2 types of error: 1) calculation error, when the deviation between the dose prescribed by the physician and theoretical dose administered, according to calculations performed by the nurse, was greater than ±10%, and 2) precision error, when the deviation between the theoretical concentration and that determined by the laboratory was greater than ±10%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 91 samples were collected, 52 of vancomycin and 39 of tobramycin. Calculation errors were detected in 4.6% of samples. Precision errors were identified in 37.9% of the total sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the errors reported did not produce adverse clinical consequences, our findings point out a potential source of severe complications. Better methods in the preparation of intravenous medications in NICU are needed.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario Cruces, Osakidetza, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santesteban
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valls-I-Soler
mesh_terms: D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000592:standards*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014640:Vancomycin; D014031:Tobramycin