Medication Mistakes at Chicago Nursing Homes Can Injure Residents
A new study to be published by the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that interrupting nurses while they are seeing to a patient’s medical needs can increase the chances that a medication error will happen. The more distractions that occur, the greater the number of mistakes that can happen. Per the study, which is the first one to demonstrate a clear link between medication errors and interruptions, four interruptions during a single medication administration doubles the chances that a major medical mistake can happen.
From September 2006 to March 2008, researchers watched 98 nurses preparing and giving 4,271 medications to 720 patients at two Australia teaching hospitals. They categorized mistakes as “procedural failures” or “clinical errors.” Among the findings:
• Just one out of every five medications administration was free from error.
• Interruptions took place during over 50% of all administration.
• Interruptions were linked to an 12.1% increase in procedural failures and a 12.7% rise in clinical mistakes.
• 79.3% of mistakes were minor.
• 2.7% of errors were major clinical mistakes.
• The most common procedural mistakes included giving the patient the right medicine at the wrong time and failing to check the patient’s chart against his/her ID.
Talking to a nurse who is preparing or administering medication is one common interruption. However, there are other reasons why a nurse at an assisted living facility might make a medication error. Understaffing, improper training, exhaustion, making small talk, administrative mistakes, such as failing to check the dosage, type of medication, failure to properly document the medical chart, and a lack of a proper checks and balances system in place to prevent mistakes, are other common causes of medication errors.
At a hospital, a medication mistake can be grounds for a Chicago medical malpractice lawsuit if injuries or death occurs. At an assisted living facility, a medication error may be grounds for a Chicago nursing home negligence complaint.
Interrupting a Nurse Makes Medication Errors More Likely, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, April 26, 2010
Interruptions Linked to Medication Errors by Nurses, Medscape Today
Causes of Medical Mistakes, Wrong Diagnosis
Related Web Resources:
Archives of Internal Medicine
Medication errors plague nursing home residents, Boston.com, February 24, 2005
If you believe your loved one was injured or got sick because a nursing home worker made a medication mistake, contact our Chicago, Illinois nursing home neglect and abuse law firm today.
