Reduction of Medication Errors in a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Medication errors resulting in patient harm were reduced from 33 in 2010 to 3 in 2011, 6 in 2012, and 4 in 2013 by initiating the following quality improvement interventions: multidisciplinary cardiothoracic intensive care unit quality committee, nursing education, shift change medication double check, medication error huddles, safety systems checklist, distraction-free zone to enter orders, and medication bar coding.