Medication errors in pediatric anesthesia: a report from the Wake Up Safe quality improvement initiative.
M Y Lobaugh L, Martin LD, Schleelein LE, et al. Medication errors in pediatric anesthesia: a report from the Wake Up Safe quality improvement initiative. Anesth Analg. 2017;125(3):936-942. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000002279.
This study describes serious adverse events in pediatric anesthesia, based on reporting to a national quality improvement registry program. Medication errors were frequent, led to significant harm, and were largely deemed preventable. The authors suggest wider implementation of evidence-based strategies like barcoding, prefilled syringes, and two-person checking in order to improve medication safety in this high-risk setting.