MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION ERRORS: EVIDENCES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT SAFETY

Abstract

The objective is to identify the evidences and implications of medication administration errors for patient safety. An integrative review was undertaken through a search in four databases in May 2015. A sample of 40 articles was obtained, submitted to descriptive statistics. Descriptive studies of evidence level 4 were predominant (n=28; 70%), published in Brazil (n=17; 42.5%). The following errors stood out: dose errors (n=27; 67.5%), wrong drug (n=25; 62.5%); wrong patient (n=21; 52.5%); wrong time (n=20;50%); wrong route (n=17;42.5%), besides documentation errors, omission of justifications when necessary and others. This type of event is responsible for causing irreparable damage to the patient or even death.

Keywords

• Medication errors
• Patient safety
• Nursing