Profiles in Patient Safety: Medication Errors in the Emergency Department

Pat Croskerry, Marc Shapiro, Sam Campbell, Connie LeBlanc, Douglas Sinclair, Patty Wren, Michael Marcoux

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Medication errors are frequent in the emergency department (ED). The unique operating characteristics of the ED may exacerbate their rate and severity. They are associated with variable clinical outcomes that range from inconsequential to death. Fifteen adult and pediatric cases are described here to illustrate a variety of errors. They may occur at any of the previously described five stages, from ordering a medication to its delivery. A sixth stage has been added to emphasize the final part of the medication administration process in the ED, drawing attention to considerations that should be made for patients being discharged home. The capability for dispensing medication, without surveillance by a pharmacist, provides an error-producing condition to which physicians and nurses should be especially vigilant. Except in very limited and defined situations, physicians should not administer medications. Adherence to defined roles would reduce the team communication errors that are a common theme in the cases described here.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)289-299
Number of pages11
JournalAcademic Emergency Medicine
Volume11
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2004

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Supported by a Senior Clinical Research Fellowship from the Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Dr. Croskerry. Drs. Croskerry and Shapiro were supported in part by Grant P20HS11592-02 to the Center for Safety in Emergency Care from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Emergency Medicine

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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