Medication errors in the obstetrics emergency ward in a low resource setting

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pharmacology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medication errors pose a significant risk in healthcare settings, particularly in emergency departments.
• Low-resource settings present unique challenges in medication management and error prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the types and patterns of medication errors occurring in an obstetric emergency ward.
• To assess the impact of these errors on patient outcomes in a low-resource environment.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study was conducted involving 10,000 women over a 10-month period.
• Medication orders were monitored from prescription to administration by head nurses.
• Patient charts and nurses' notes were retrospectively reviewed for comprehensive error analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 1976 medication errors were identified, with administration errors being the most prevalent.
• Omitted, unauthorized, and prescription errors were also significant.
• Three errors led to Cesarean sections due to incorrect oxytocin dosage; most other errors did not cause direct harm but increased monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Administration errors, often linked to incorrect dosages, are a primary concern in obstetric emergency care.
• Increased staffing during night shifts and the implementation of automated infusion pumps are recommended to mitigate medication errors.