INTRAVENOUS MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION ERRORS AND THIS CAN ENDANGER THE LIVES OF PATIENTS

Omar Abdulwahid Salih Al-Ani

doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2020.v13i7.37287

Abstract

Objective: Intravenous errors are one of the most frequent and common medical errors, but no direct causes found. The theory of human error is the most common expression of errors in hospitals, and this can endanger the lives of patients. This research study aims to identify the errors in the vein and try to find solutions to avoid those errors where the study conducted on a sample of hospitals in Baghdad. Methods: The study conducted to improve health quality in some hospitals. During the study period, a group of severe cases was detected, which based on intravenous infusions. Patients’ data and information were collected through five sources, examined and documented venous errors found and placed in a standard classification according to an incorrect dose and incorrect medication. The incorrect dose includes the following: Overdose, extra dose, underdose, wrong strength, and wrong form. Results: During the period of study, a total of 99 cases, among these cases, 52 incorrect medications include (drug-drug interaction, drug-disease interaction, and not indicated medication) the incorrect dose 42 and route of administration and incorrect rate also take place in mistakes. Conclusion: Intravenous errors can cause significant harm to patients and health-care providers, so proper attention paid to them. Several reasons may cause medication errors such as lack of experience and knowledge of health-care providers, inaccurate communications that do not explain the drug, and the exact dose. The prescribing errors in the medication or dosage were collected, discussed, and clarified so that the risks arising from them observed so that health-care providers and hospital specialists would be alerted and the study would serve as an alarm for health organizations.

Highlights

For medications to have a positive effect on patients and to meet their therapeutic purposes, they must take correctly
According to the NCC MERP “The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention,” the definition of medication error was it is an event that may cause harm to the patient or inappropriate medication use as the management of the drug is in the will of the professional healthcare and patient
Patients’ data and information were collected through five hospitals (Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Saint Raphael (Al Rahibat) Hospital, Al-Elwiya Teaching Hospital, and Al-Yarmook Teaching Hospital), examined and documented venous errors found and placed in a standard classification according to an incorrect dose and incorrect medication

Summary

Introduction

For medications to have a positive effect on patients and to meet their therapeutic purposes, they must take correctly. There are several stages until the drug reaches the patient starting from the description, preparation, dispensing, and administration of the error that can occur in these stages [1]. Drug errors rank seventh in terms of causes of death [2]. According to the NCC MERP “The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention,” the definition of medication error was it is an event that may cause harm to the patient or inappropriate medication use as the management of the drug is in the will of the professional healthcare and patient. Medication errors defined as any error that occurs while prescribing, dispensing, or administering the drug, regardless of whether this error causes harm to the patient or not [4]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion