Low Rate of Adverse Events Associated With Inpatient Parenteral Prostacyclins

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Parenteral prostacyclin is a vital treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
• Complex administration of this therapy poses significant risks, including potentially life-threatening errors.
• Established hospital policies aim to mitigate these risks, but their efficacy requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the incident rate of adverse events associated with parenteral prostacyclin administration in hospitalized PAH patients.
• To assess the effectiveness of an established hospital policy in minimizing these risks.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of parenteral prostacyclin administrations from January 2003 to January 2013.
• Inclusion of 386 admissions, identifying policy-divergent events through risk feedback reports and chart reviews.
• Categorization and severity assessment of policy-divergent events.

Main Results:

• An overall incident rate of 45.9 policy-divergent events per 1,000 patient days was identified.
• Of these, 6.3 events per 1,000 patient days reached the patient.
• A rate of 3.3 serious or catastrophic events per 1,000 patient days was observed.

Conclusions:

• Despite specific training and hospital policies, parenteral prostacyclin administration in hospitalized PAH patients carries an inherent risk of adverse events.
• Continuous monitoring and adherence to protocols are crucial for patient safety.
• Further research may explore enhanced strategies to minimize event rates.