Number Of Critical Errors Research Articles

Does mixing inhaler devices lead to unchecked inhaler technique errors in patients with COPD? Findings from the cross-sectional observational MISMATCH study

BackgroundPatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be prescribed multiple inhalers that require different techniques for optimal performance. Mixing devices has been associated with poorer COPD outcomes suggesting that...

COPD: misuse of inhaler devices in clinical practice.

Background and objectives: Inhalers mishandling remain an important clinical issue worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate inhalation technique in stable COPD out-patients. The variables under study were type of inhaler device (ID), patients’ preference for an inhaler, number of IDs used by each patient, beliefs about inhaler medication and some demographic, clinical and functional patients' characteristics. We aim to assess how they are related to inhalation technique.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital outpatient respiratory care. COPD patients over 40 years old, diagnosed according to GOLD criteria, and using IDs were included consecutively. The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), a demographic and a clinical survey were applied. The number of IDs used by each patient and the patients’ preference for some IDs were recorded. Patients were asked to demonstrate the use of their prescribed inhalation devices, and inhaler technique was assessed by using previously defined checklists, including essential steps and critical errors. A statistics analysis was then performed.Results: We studied 300 subjects performing a total of 521 inhalation manoeuvers with 10 different IDs. At least one step incorrectly performed was found in 48.2% of demonstrations and in 29.9% critical errors were observed. Misuse was related to priming/loading in 6.9%, to inhalation manoeuver in 13.1% and to both in 10%. There was a statistically significant association between critical errors and type of ID (P<0.001). No significant relationship was found between correct performance of key manoeuvers and patients’ preference or number of inhalers used per patient. Misuse due to critical errors was observed in 39.3% of patients and was positively related to female gender, age ≥65, lower education level and lower socioeconomic status (higher Graffar classification score), but not to patients’ clinical or functional characteristics. In the sub-group of patients presenting critical errors when using IDs, there was a statistically significant inverse association between BMQ Necessity score and number of critical errors.Conclusions: Inhalers mishandling remains disappointingly common. A good inhalation technique depends on the type of ID, and failure of inhalation manoeuver was the main cause of ID misuse. It was not associated to multiple inhalers’ use nor to patient’s preference, but to the patient’s beliefs about the necessity to use them. Elderly patients, women and those with lower education level or lower socioeconomic status demonstrate a worse inhalation technique.

Rectal Dissection Simulator for da Vinci Surgery: Details of Simulator Manufacturing With Evidence of Construct, Face, and Content Validity.

Apprenticeship in training new surgical skills is problematic, because it involves human subjects. To date there are limited inanimate trainers for rectal surgery. The purpose of this article is to present manufacturing details accompanied by evidence of construct, face, and content validity for a robotic rectal dissection simulation. Residents versus experts were recruited and tested on performing simulated total mesorectal excision. Time for each dissection was recorded. Effectiveness of retraction to achieve adequate exposure was scored on a dichotomous yes-or-no scale. Number of critical errors was counted. Dissection quality was tested using a visual 7-point Likert scale. The times and scores were then compared to assess construct validity. Two scorer results were used to show interobserver agreement. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to each participant inquiring about basic demographics, surgical experience, and opinion of the simulator. Survey data relevant to the determination of face validity (realism and ease of use) and content validity (appropriateness and usefulness) were then analyzed. The study was conducted at a single teaching institution. Residents and trained surgeons were included. The study intervention included total mesorectal excision on an inanimate model. Metrics confirming or refuting that the model can distinguish between novices and experts were measured. A total of 19 residents and 9 experts were recruited. The residents versus experts comparison featured average completion times of 31.3 versus 10.3 minutes, percentage achieving adequate exposure of 5.3% versus 88.9%, number of errors of 31.9 versus 3.9, and dissection quality scores of 1.8 versus 5.2. Interobserver correlations of R = 0.977 or better confirmed interobserver agreement. Overall average scores were 4.2 of 5.0 for face validation and 4.5 of 5.0 for content validation. The use of a da Vinci microblade instead of hook electrocautery was a study limitation. The pelvic model showed evidence of construct validity, because all of the measured performance indicators accurately differentiated the 2 groups studied. Furthermore, study participants provided evidence for the simulator's face and content validity. These results justify proceeding to the next stage of validation, which consists of evaluating predictive and concurrent validity. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A551.

Effects of Age-Related Macular Degeneration on Driving Performance.

PurposeTo explore differences in driving performance of older adults with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-matched controls, and to identify the visual determinants of driving performance in this population.MethodsParticipants included 33 older drivers with AMD (mean age [M] = 76.6 ± 6.1 years; better eye Age-Related Eye Disease Study grades: early [61%] and intermediate [39%]) and 50 age-matched controls (M = 74.6 ± 5.0 years). Visual tests included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual fields, and motion sensitivity. On-road driving performance was assessed in a dual-brake vehicle by an occupational therapist (masked to drivers' visual status). Outcome measures included driving safety ratings (scale of 1–10, where higher values represented safer driving), types of driving behavior errors, locations at which errors were made, and number of critical errors (CE) requiring an instructor intervention.ResultsDrivers with AMD were rated as less safe than controls (4.8 vs. 6.2; P = 0.012); safety ratings were associated with AMD severity (early: 5.5 versus intermediate: 3.7), even after adjusting for age. Drivers with AMD had higher CE rates than controls (1.42 vs. 0.36, respectively; rate ratio 3.05, 95% confidence interval 1.47–6.36, P = 0.003) and exhibited more observation, lane keeping, and gap selection errors and made more errors at traffic light–controlled intersections (P < 0.05). Only motion sensitivity was significantly associated with driving safety in the AMD drivers (P = 0.005).ConclusionsDrivers with early and intermediate AMD can exhibit impairments in their driving performance, particularly during complex driving situations; motion sensitivity was most strongly associated with driving performance. These findings have important implications for assessing the driving ability of older drivers with visual impairment.

Evaluation and importance of different types of inhaler device in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

Inhaled medications are used in chronic airway disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and give the opportunity of low doses, lower side effects, and fast effectiveness. Inhaler devices are frequently used incorrectly by patients. Today, it is generally accepted that poor device use is one of the reasons for poor disease control and low adherence. The aim of the study was to investigate a sample of patients with COPD prescribed with inhaled medication and to evaluate the frequency and pattern of incorrect inhaler use as well as affecting factors. One hundred and eighty consecutive patients who attended the outpatient clinic with the diagnosis of COPD and were prescribed and receiving different types of inhaler drugs at least for one month were included. The patient's ability to use the devices according to steps was scored face to face after they had replied a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions about their inhaler training and disease specifications. The parameters that may affect incorrect use, pattern of incorrect use, characteristics of the patients who experienced incorrect use, and impact of training were evaluated. Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact test were used for statistical analysis. The rate of correct use including all steps was 26.3% for metered-dose inhaler (pressurized MDI), 30.4% for inhalation capsule aerolizer, 40.5% for diskus, and 46.3% for turbuhaler. The parameters affecting correct use and number of critical errors causing insufficient drug inhalation were type and duration of initial training due to inhaler devices and also duration and stage of the disease. COPD patients who were prescribed an inhaler drug should be regularly checked and re-trained during out-patient visits on how to use the inhaler device correctly step by step.

Glaucoma and Driving: On-Road Driving Characteristics.

PurposeTo comprehensively investigate the types of driving errors and locations that are most problematic for older drivers with glaucoma compared to those without glaucoma using a standardized on-road assessment.MethodsParticipants included 75 drivers with glaucoma (mean = 73.2±6.0 years) with mild to moderate field loss (better-eye MD = -1.21 dB; worse-eye MD = -7.75 dB) and 70 age-matched controls without glaucoma (mean = 72.6 ± 5.0 years). On-road driving performance was assessed in a dual-brake vehicle by an occupational therapist using a standardized scoring system which assessed the types of driving errors and the locations where they were made and the number of critical errors that required an instructor intervention. Driving safety was rated on a 10-point scale. Self-reported driving ability and difficulties were recorded using the Driving Habits Questionnaire.ResultsDrivers with glaucoma were rated as significantly less safe, made more driving errors, and had almost double the rate of critical errors than those without glaucoma. Driving errors involved lane positioning and planning/approach, and were significantly more likely to occur at traffic lights and yield/give-way intersections. There were few between group differences in self-reported driving ability.ConclusionsOlder drivers with glaucoma with even mild to moderate field loss exhibit impairments in driving ability, particularly during complex driving situations that involve tactical problems with lane-position, planning ahead and observation. These results, together with the fact that these drivers self-report their driving to be relatively good, reinforce the need for evidence-based on-road assessments for evaluating driving fitness.

Use of a cognitive ergonomics approach to compare usabilityof a multidose dry powder inhaler and a capsule dry powder inhaler: An open-label, randomized, controlled study

Background: Usability (ease of use) is an important feature of inhalers to ensure optimal dose delivery Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the usability of a multidose dry powder inhaler (mDPI) and a capsule dry powder inhaler (cDPI) in older individuals, using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques from the field of cognitive ergonomics. Methods: Participants aged >50 years were enrolled in this 2-visit, open-label, randomized, controlled, parallelgroupstudy conducted at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Participants who had used an inhaler or were inhaler naive were randomized to use the mDPI or cDPI. At visit 1, the inhaler procedure was demonstrated twice by the investigator. Participants then repeated the procedure (although they were not expected to inhale because no drug was to be administered) until they made 3 consecutive correct attempts. They also undertook a range of tests to assess their confidence in using the device, manual dexterity, and self-efficacy At visit 2 (2 days later), participants made a single inhaler attempt before receiving any demonstrations from the investigator; this was intended to simulate clinical practice, in which the patient may not use an inhaler for a few days after it is prescribed. Participants then completed the inhaler procedure 10 times while undertaking a concurrent distracter task. The number of critical errors (ie, those having a high impact on dose delivery) was recorded for all attempts. To facilitate subsequent correlation analyses, an overall performance measure was derived from a combination of the results of the single inhaler trial and the 10 trials with a distracter. Results: Eighty individuals (51 women, 29 men; mean [SD] age, 74.1 [7.5] years) participated in the study(40 participants per device). Forty of the participants (50%) had used an inhaler previously; 40 (50%) were inhaler naive. Based on the overall performance measure, participants testing the mDPI made significantly fewer critical errors than participants testing the cDPI (P < 0.001). Participants rated both inhalers as easy to use but were overconfident concerning their ability to use the 2 devices. Conclusions: In this study of usability of an mDPI and a cDPI in older participants, participants found both inhalers easy to use, but fewer critical errors were made with the mDPI compared with the cDPI. However, the results suggest a degree of overconfidence and the need for continual monitoring of patients' inhalation technique, especially with the cDPI.