Preventing Medication Errors in Pediatric Anesthesia: A Systematic Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Safety
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Medication errors in pediatric anesthesia pose significant risks to patient safety.
• Systematic reviews are essential for identifying and synthesizing evidence-based practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and summarize reports on medication errors in pediatric anesthesia.
• To qualitatively synthesize medication error situations and provide recommendations for their elimination or minimization.

Main Methods:

• A systematic scoping review of multiple databases (Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO) was conducted up to March 2020.
• Qualitative synthesis of medication error scenarios and recommendations, with grading of evidence levels using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

Main Results:

• 39 publications were reviewed, identifying dosing errors as the most frequent type.
• 33 medication error situations and 36 recommendations were synthesized, with 47.2% of recommendations focusing on administration.
• The majority of recommendations (80.6%) were supported by Level 1 evidence.

Conclusions:

• Medication errors, particularly dosing errors, are a significant concern in pediatric anesthesia.
• Implementing the identified recommendations, especially those related to administration, can potentially reduce medication error incidence and improve patient safety.