Pediatric Medication Errors in Hospitals Higher than Expected

A new study published in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics found that 7.3 percent of hospitalized children participating in the study were victims of medication errors. Some of the children were actually victims of multiple medication mistakes. Therefore, the actual error rate was 11.1 per 100 patients. According to an article on the subject by Lindsey Taylor published in www.mcall.com on April 14, 2008, that translates into as much as 540,000 children annually. The alarmingly high numbers seem to prove that hospital medication mistakes occur much more frequently than can be accounted for by the traditional documenting methods.

Traditionally, estimates regarding how many hospital medication errors have been based on self policing methods including self reporting and peer review. Researchers and government data collectors have always suggested that the self policing methods vastly underestimate the scope of the problem. This new study backs up the researchers claims. In fact the study indicates that only 3.7 percent of the errors found in the study were identified using traditional voluntary reporting methods.

The new study found the additional medication mistakes by focusing on triggers or "red flags" while reviewing patient charts. The triggers included observing in the chart documentation of known medication side effects, unusual lab results, and the giving of antidotes for drug overdoses. In other words, the focus was on actively looking for medication errors instead of relying on wrongdoers to report their mistakes.

To anyone that studies human nature, the results are really not surprising. There will always be a percentage of the population that will try to cover up their mistakes. It is naive to think that the percentage of such people is less in the medical community than in the general population. Simply put, morality does not increase with education and intelligence.
Personal injury lawyers are often criticized by tort reformers in the medical community for holding them accountable for their mistakes. The claim is usually that mistakes are rare and that personal injury attorneys are simply exploiting unfortunate outcomes. The solution for these folks is to eliminate the tort system in favor of self reporting, self policing, and self correcting of mistakes. It will be interesting to see if the results of this study will lead even one tort reformer in the medical community to reflect on whether such a system will do more harm by failing to catch those that put their own self interest in not being held accountable for their mistakes ahead of what is in the best interest of their patients.

Scott Distasio
Florida Hospital Medication Mistake Lawyer

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