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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Medical errors in neonatal intensive care unit at Benha University Hospital, Egypt

Ahmed N El-Shazly1, Mahmoud A Al-Azzouny2, Doaa R Soliman1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = La Revue De Sante De La Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit
|March 1, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Medical errors are prevalent in neonatal intensive care units, affecting 97% of infants. Key error types include invasive procedures, daily routines, and staffing, with higher risks for premature infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Healthcare Quality Improvement
  • Patient Safety

Background:

  • Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are critical environments for vulnerable infants.
  • Medical errors pose significant risks to patient outcomes in neonatal care.
  • Identifying error patterns is essential for improving NICU safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and categorize medical errors in a hospital's NICU.
  • To determine risk factors associated with these medical errors.
  • To understand the consequences of medical errors on neonates.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study conducted in a NICU from August 2012 to January 2013.
  • Errors were identified through neonate follow-up and review of medical records.
  • Data included nursing sheets, resident notes, and investigation reports.

Main Results:

  • A total of 3819 medical errors were detected, impacting 97% of neonates.
  • The most frequent errors involved invasive procedures (27.28%) and daily routine procedures (17.07%).
  • Staffing errors (17.18%) and infection control errors (11.73%) were also significant.

Conclusions:

  • Medical errors are widespread in NICUs, affecting nearly all neonates.
  • Low birth weight and gestational age are risk factors for errors.
  • Error rates increase with the duration of NICU admission.

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