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S C Hartwig

Publications and source records attributed to S C Hartwig.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Severity-indexed, incident report-based medication error-reporting program.

A medication error-reporting program is described. Medication errors at a large teaching hospital are reported through traditional incident reports. Specific information on the errors is documented on an additional form; data captured include the type of error, system breakdown point, and class of drug involved. A severity ranking that reflects patient outcome is also assigned to each medication error. The data are entered into a relational database and analyzed. Reports are generated that show the overall error rate, the distribution of errors by severity ranking and drug class, and the error types, system breakdown points, and drug classes associated with errors of the highest severity rankings. Between January and December 1990, the number of medication error reports received per month ranged from 73 to 141, and the number of errors reported per month increased during the year. Although the incident report-based method underestimates the actual number of medication errors, the program has been effective in identifying problem areas and trends so that quality assurance and medical committees can implement measures to improve drug use. The use of a severity-indexed medication error-reporting program based on incident reports and managed through a relational database has revealed problems that are then addressed by other quality assurance measures.

Documentation↗
PubMed1986

Effect of use-criteria for intravenous administration sets.

Numbers of intravenous administration sets used were studied in a 480-bed hospital before and after criteria for selecting sets were implemented. Criteria for use of eight common administration sets were developed by a committee of nurses and pharmacists. Hospital drug-use review was used as a pattern. Baseline data were collected for seven-day periods on each of five patient-care units; twice daily, one pharmacist recorded the numbers of sets used and determined their compliance with the criteria, which had been established but not disseminated to nurses or implemented. After nurses were instructed on use of the criteria, data were collected for a second seven-day period on each unit. Use of each set type as a percentage of all sets and compliant use of each type as a percentage of all compliant use were calculated. Annual hospitalwide cost savings were predicted from the observed changes in use and the hospital's costs in the six-month period before the study. Significant changes occurred in overall use and in use of individual set types. For each set type, use compliant with the criteria increased. Notable changes included decreased use of volumetric chambers (burettes) and increased relative use of Y maxidrip and Y minidrip sets. Annual savings of more than +20,000 were predicted. Criteria for selection of i.v. administration sets had an effect on set use at this hospital.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗