Strategies to minimize medication errors in emergency units: an integrative review.

Debora Bessa Mieiro,Vivian Aline Mininel,Regimar Carla Machado,Renata Elizabete Pagotti da Fonseca,Sílvia Helena Zem-Mascarenhas,Érica Bueno Camargo de Oliveira

doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0658

Debora Bessa Mieiro, Vivian Aline Mininel + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0658

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Abstract

To assess the strategies used by the Nursing team to minimize medication errors in emergency units. Integrative literature review in the PubMed, BDenf, Cochrane and LILACS databases. Timeless research, without language limitation, performed by peers. Articles published in full that answered the guiding question were included in research. Educational strategies (conducting campaigns, elaborating explanatory manuals, creating a multidisciplinary committee involved in the prevention and reduction of adverse drug events); organizational (meetings, Deviance positive, creation of protocols and changes in the work process) and new technologies (implementation of prescription by computerized system, introduction of the unit doses and of the bar code in the administration of medicines) were evidenced in the studies with the purpose of minimizing medication errors in an emergency unit. The strategies identified were effective in minimizing medication errors in emergency units.

Highlights

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines patient safety as “is the absence of preventable harm to a patient and reduction of risk of unnecessary harm associated with health care to an acceptable minimum”(1)
This discipline has gained worldwide importance since the beginning of 2000, following the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report To Err is Human, which pointed out that about 98,000 people died in hospitals every year, victims of adverse events (AD) in the United States of America[2]
The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA), a government agency that operates in patient safety in Brazil, created the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors (Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada - RDC) No 36/2013, which “establishes actions for the patient in health services and gives other measures”(4-6)

Summary

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines patient safety as “is the absence of preventable harm to a patient and reduction of risk of unnecessary harm associated with health care to an acceptable minimum”(1). All, this discipline has gained worldwide importance since the beginning of 2000, following the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report To Err is Human, which pointed out that about 98,000 people died in hospitals every year, victims of adverse events (AD) in the United States of America[2]. The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA), a government agency that operates in patient safety in Brazil, created the Resolution of the Collegiate Board of Directors (Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada - RDC) No 36/2013, which “establishes actions for the patient in health services and gives other measures”(4-6)

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Conclusion