Patient Safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

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Error detection in neonatal intensive care units

The types and frequencies of reported errors are a function of the method of detection. A commonly used method is to review charts and interview care providers. Using this methodology, Kaushal and coworkers [2] reported that medication errors were frequent in a NICU—91 per 100 admissions. Medication errors not only were more frequent, but they also were significantly more likely to be associated with the potential for harm (a potential adverse drug event [ADE]) than medication errors in

Creating and sustaining a culture of safety

The aviation industry often is cited as a model for aggressively and successfully addressing the problem of safety in air travel. As impressive as their record in reducing fatalities that are associated with air travel has been, they continue to set aggressive goals. The safety goal for 2007 is to reduce the aviation fatal accident rate by an additional 80%, compared with 1996 rates [16]. In addition to setting clear goals, other characteristics of the aviation safety strategy are applicable to

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations patient safety goals

At the time of this review, the JCAHO has nine National Patient Safety Goals for 2005 [28]. Most of the safety goals are directly applicable to the NICU.

Goal #1 is to improve the accuracy of patient identification. At least two patient identifiers are to be used for administering medications or blood products, drawing blood samples or other specimens, and any other treatments or procedures. An active final verification process should be done before any invasive procedure to confirm correct

Summary

A major shift is underway in understanding how to achieve the best and safest outcomes for our patients. Landmark publications from the Institute of Medicine have served to set a national agenda for change, and the challenge has been picked up by policy-setting organizations such as the JCAHO [43], [44]. Patient safety is a characteristics of a high-quality care environment and should be integrated into quality improvement programs. Trying to make care safer immediately brings one face to face

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  • Cited by (14)

    • Anonymous reporting of medical errors from The Egyptian Neonatal Safety Training Network

      2020, Pediatrics and Neonatology
      Citation Excerpt :

      NICU is a highly complex, stressful, technology-driven environment, which provides multidisciplinary care to critically ill newborns.1

    • Iatrogenic Disorders in Modern Neonatology: A Focus on Safety and Quality of Care

      2008, Clinics in Perinatology
      Citation Excerpt :

      The reporting system set up by the Vermont Oxford Network is an important first step and needs to be made permanent, and expanded to all NICUs nationwide. Other methods, such as chart reviews, can help to identify errors that escaped reporting through the voluntary and mandatory reporting systems [86]. Individual case reviews through the departmental morbidity and mortality conferences, hospital quality assurance committees, and hospital risk management should help identify problem areas, perform root cause analysis to identify system deficiencies, and help develop protocols to enhance patient safety.

    • Focusing on patient safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit environment

      2017, Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine
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    1

    AHRQ P20 HS 11583.

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