[Medication errors in a neonatal unit: One of the main adverse events]

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Patient safety
• Medication error analysis

Background:

• Neonatal units face high risks of treatment errors.
• Medication errors (MEs) are avoidable incidents causing patient harm.
• Understanding ME incidence and causes in neonatal settings is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the incidence and characteristics of medication errors in a neonatal unit.
• To identify causal factors contributing to medication errors.
• To present strategies implemented for ME prevention.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of reported medication errors within a neonatal unit.
• Data collection over a seven-year period.
• Categorization of errors by type, cause, and patient impact.

Main Results:

• 511 MEs reported over seven years; incidence of 32.2/1000 hospital days.
• Administration errors (68.1%) were most frequent; 0.6% caused permanent damage or death.
• Distraction (59%) was the primary causal factor; nurses reported 65.4% of MEs.

Conclusions:

• Determining the current state of MEs is essential for effective prevention.
• Teamwork and good practices are key to fostering a safety climate.
• Continuous monitoring and implementation of preventive measures are necessary.