Study Finds Rampant Medication Errors During Surgery

A new study conducted by one of the nation’s most respected hospitals is shining a light on the need for healthcare professionals to slow down during medication administration before, during and after surgery.   

According to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, medication errors and adverse drug events are taking place with alarming frequency. The hospital randomly tracked 277 operations between November 2013 and June 2014 at Mass General. They found that in 45 percent of the surgeries, hospital staff made at least one medication error or a patient suffered an adverse drug event. Researchers say 80 percent of the errors were preventable. 

The research team defined medication errors as "any kind of mistake in the process of ordering or administering a drug, or as adverse drug events related to drugs, regardless of whether they were caused by errors.”

While all the surgeries evaluated took place at Mass General, researchers believe the results are indicative of what is happening in OR's across the nation. 

"Given that Mass General is a national leader in patient safety and had already implemented approaches to improve safety in the operating room, perioperative medication error rates are probably at least as high at many other hospitals,” said Karen C. Nanji, MD, MPH, the study’s lead author.

Nanji and her research team found the most common medication errors at Mass General surrounded proper drug labeling and dosage. Failing to treat patients based on their vital signs and patient record was also a concern. Less than two percent of the medication mistakes were considered to be life-threatening. Thirty percent were viewed as significant, and 69 percent were considered serious. Surprisingly, the medication mistake rate was the same regardless of whether an anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist or resident was involved in the medication administration. 

"Now that we understand the types of errors that are being made and their frequencies, we can begin to develop targeted strategies to prevent them," says Nanji.

To learn more about medication administration safety, read the entire article.