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The PSNet Collection: All Content

The AHRQ PSNet Collection comprises an extensive selection of resources relevant to the patient safety community. These resources come in a variety of formats, including literature, research, tools, and Web sites. Resources are identified using the National Library of Medicine’s Medline database, various news and content aggregators, and the expertise of the AHRQ PSNet editorial and technical teams.

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 Results
WebM&M Case October 1, 2015
A woman who had recently had her left lung removed for aspergilloma presented to the outpatient clinic with pain, redness, and pus draining from her sternotomy site. She was admitted for surgical debridement and prescribed IV liposomal amphotericin B for aspergillus. Hours into the IV infusion, the patient developed nausea, vomiting, sweating, and shivering, and it was discovered that she had been given conventional amphotericin B at the dose intended for the liposomal formulation, representing a 5-fold overdose.
WebM&M Case April 1, 2014
Following a hospitalization for Clostridium Difficile–associated diarrhea, a woman with HIV/AIDS and B-cell lymphoma was discharged with a prescription for a 14-day course of oral vancomycin solution. At her regular retail pharmacy, she was unable to obtain the medicine, and while awaiting coverage approval, she received no treatment. Her symptoms soon returned, prompting an emergency department visit where she was diagnosed with toxic megacolon.
Walker PC, Bernstein SJ, Jones JNT, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2003-10.
Medication errors are a leading contributor to adverse events after hospital discharge, and prior studies have demonstrated a high incidence of inadvertent medication discrepancies at the time of discharge. Pharmacist involvement in inpatient care is a proven strategy to improve safety, and a pharmacist-led medication reconciliation and education process successfully reduced medication errors and hospital readmissions in a prior study. In this trial, while the involvement of a pharmacist in medication teaching, medication reconciliation, communication of medication changes to outpatient physicians, and post-discharge telephone follow-up with patients did appear to reduce medication discrepancies, it had no impact on rates of readmissions and emergency department visits. This finding may indicate that more comprehensive discharge interventions may be necessary in order to reduce the risk of readmission.