Medication errors associated with anticoagulant therapy in the hospital

Am J Cardiol. 2004 Aug 15;94(4):532-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2004.04.075.

Abstract

Anticoagulation in hospitalized patients is frequently associated with medication errors. To determine the extent and severity of this problem, we reviewed consecutively reported, anticoagulation-related medication errors over a 3-year period. We identified 130 medication errors. There were 1.67 medication errors for every 1,000 patients treated with anticoagulants. These were most often associated with unfractionated heparin (66.2%), followed by warfarin (21.5%), low-molecular-weight heparin (9.2%), argatroban (1.5%), and lepirudin (1.5%). There were no deaths attributed to any anticoagulant medication errors, but 6.2% of patients required medical intervention and 1.5% needed prolonged hospitalization. Medication errors frequently occur with anticoagulant therapy in hospitalized patients.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Anticoagulants / adverse effects
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use*
  • Boston
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted*
  • Heparin / adverse effects
  • Heparin / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Medication Errors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Medication Systems, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Patient Care Team / statistics & numerical data
  • Research Design / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Management / statistics & numerical data
  • Software
  • Thromboembolism / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Heparin