Anticonvulsant medication errors in children with epilepsy during the home-to-hospital transition

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Children with epilepsy require consistent anticonvulsant therapy.
• Transitions between home and hospital settings pose a risk for medication regimen disruption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of anticonvulsant medication errors in children with epilepsy during hospital admission.
• To identify risk factors associated with these medication errors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for 120 children with epilepsy admitted for non-seizure related reasons.
• Analysis of medication errors, categorized by dosing quantity or missed doses.
• Multivariable modeling to assess risk factors for errors.

Main Results:

• Twenty-nine out of 120 children (24%) experienced at least one anticonvulsant medication error.
• Changes in administration responsibility and frequency of anticonvulsant administration were significantly associated with increased odds of errors.

Conclusions:

• Anticonvulsant medication errors are common during the home-to-hospital transition for children with epilepsy admitted for non-seizure reasons.
• Interventions targeting administration responsibility and scheduling may reduce medication errors.