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Medication errors among acutely ill and injured children treated in rural emergency departments.

Marcin JP, Dharmar M, Cho M, et al. Medication errors among acutely ill and injured children treated in rural emergency departments. Ann Emerg Med. 2007;50(4):361-7, 367.e1-2.

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August 29, 2011
Marcin JP, Dharmar M, Cho M, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2007;50(4):361-7, 367.e1-2.
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In the pediatric population, medication errors occur at rates similar to those of adults. However, given the need for careful weight-based dosing of medications for pediatric patients, fast-paced emergency department settings may increase this risk. In this study, two pediatric pharmacists used a data collection instrument to retrospectively characterize the frequency and nature of medication errors in more than 175 cases. Investigators discovered errors in half the patient cases where a medication was prescribed. Incorrect physician orders accounted for the most common error source. The authors advocate for system redesign to prevent such a high rate of errors, particularly in rural settings where resources may be limited.

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Marcin JP, Dharmar M, Cho M, et al. Medication errors among acutely ill and injured children treated in rural emergency departments. Ann Emerg Med. 2007;50(4):361-7, 367.e1-2.