title: Evaluation of the medication process in pediatric patients: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to meta-analyze studies that have assessed the medication errors rate in pediatric patients during prescribing, dispensing, and drug administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  searches were performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Trip databases, selecting articles published in English from 2001 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a total of 25 original studies that met inclusion criteria were selected, which referred to pediatric inpatients or pediatric patients in emergency departments aged 0-16 years, and assessed the frequency of medication errors in the stages of prescribing, dispensing, and drug administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the combined medication error rate for prescribing errors to medication orders was 0.175 (95% Confidence Interval: [CI] 0.108-0.270), the rate of prescribing errors to total medication errors was 0.342 (95% CI: 0.146-0.611), that of dispensing errors to total medication errors was 0.065 (95% CI: 0.026-0.154), and that ofadministration errors to total medication errors was 0.316 (95% CI: 0.148-0.550). Furthermore, the combined medication error rate for administration errors to drug administrations was 0.209 (95% CI: 0.152-0.281). Medication errors constitute a reality in healthcare services. The medication process is significantly prone to errors, especially during prescription and drug administration. Implementation of medication error reduction strategies is required in order to increase the safety and quality of pediatric healthcare.
authors.affiliation: P & A Kyriakoy General Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: dkoumpagioti@nurs.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koumpagioti
authors.affiliation: Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varounis
authors.affiliation: Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kletsiou
authors.affiliation: P & A Kyriakoy General Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalampia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nteli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matziou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008499:Medical Records; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Children; Crianças; Drug errors; Erros de medicamentos; Erros de medicação; Medication errors; Medication process; Meta-analysis; Meta-análise; Pacientes pediátricos; Pediatric patients; Processo de medicação