M. Dwayne Smith|Henry A. Spiller|Marcel J. Casavant|Thiphalak Chounthirath|Todd J. Brophy|Hao Xiang
Out-of-Hospital Medication Errors Among Young Children in the United States, 2002–2012
Nationwide Children's Hospital|Washington Poison Center|The Ohio State University|Washington Poison Center|The Ohio State University|Nationwide Children's Hospital|Nationwide Children's Hospital|The Ohio State University|Nationwide Children's Hospital|The Ohio State University
objective investigate outofhospital medication errors among young children united states methods using data national poison database system retrospective analysis outofhospital medication errors among children amplt6 years old 2002 2012 conducted results 20022012 696 937 children amplt6 years experienced outofhospital medication errors averaging 63 358 episodes per year 1 child every 8 minutes average annual rate medication errors 2642 per 10 000 population cough cold medication errors decreased significantly whereas number 429 increase rate 372 increase medication errors rose significantly 11year study period number rate medication error events decreased increasing child age children amplt1 year accounting 252 episodes analgesics 252 commonly involved medication errors followed cough cold preparations 246 ingestion accounted 962 events 270 medication errors attributed inadvertently taking given medication twice 935 cases managed outside health care facility 44 treated released health care facility 04 admitted noncritical care unit 03 admitted critical care unit 25 children died conclusions first comprehensive study evaluate epidemiologic characteristics outofhospital medication errors among children amplt6 years age national level increased efforts needed prevent medication errors especially involving noncough cold preparations among young children