Medication administration during a ...

Medication administration during a surgical act can pose challenges that instant increased risk for errors. When a clinician the one and the other prescribes and administers medication, there is little chance that an error will be ascertained before the medication is administered. When the same clinician prescribes medication and another administers it, the orders ofttimes are verbal. Verbal orders can lead to errors because clinicians wear masks that unintelligible their mouths, clinicians may not speak or hear clearly, music may be playing, or distractions may occur

In a latter occurrence reported to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a surgeon verbally ordered 10000 units of heparin for a patient undergoing a carotid endarterectomy. The anesthesia care provider heard and administered 2000 units. The error l to subdued activated clotting times during the proceeding and the patient required additional doses of heparin.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices attract favor tos several measures to help avoid human error in intraoperative medication prescription and administration.

* The clinician administering medication should make a habit of repeating all verbal orders using a digit at digit technique (eg, one-five, not fifteen).

* A "read-back" theory can be instituted in which the circulating nourish or an anesthesia staff member writes down the verbal order and reads it back to the prescribing physician.

* The name, dosage, and way of the medication can be repeated immediately before administration.

* The medication and dosage should be matched to the patient's condition and indication for use.

* Standard protocols can be instituted for administration of certain medications during surgery

For more information about medication safety in the OR, please deliver over to "AORN guidance statement--safe medication practices in perioperative practice settings" published in the May 2002 issue of the AORN Journal.

J Smetzer "Prescriptions for safety," AHA just discovereds (June 3, 2002) 6,

COPYRIGHT 2002 Association of Operating field Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group