Pediatric Adverse Drug Events
Pediatric Adverse Drug Events
This actionable evidence-based practice blueprint provides a checklist for clinicians to create an action plan to prevent severe pediatric adverse drug events and ensure best patient care. This document is revised as needed to incorporate the latest best practices and gold standard of care. The e-book is available free of charge to anyone. © 2020 Patient Safety Movement Foundation.
Contributors:
PSMF Team The Challenge
Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes from medication errors (preventable adverse events due to wrong medication use). The Institute for Safe Medication Practices reported that from 2008 to 2012 there were over 45,000 adverse drug events (ADEs) in children under 18 years old, and 64% of the ADEs involved a serious injury, including hospitalization (22%), life-threatening complications (3%), disability (2%), and death (6%). Most medications used in the care of children are made and packaged primarily for adults, with limited dosage forms and amounts for newborns, infants, and children, often requiring healthcare professionals to prepare medications in different volumes or amounts for pediatric patients. This evidence-based blueprint is designed to help healthcare professionals, hospitals, and healthcare systems create leadership, action, and technology plans to reduce medication errors and preventable pediatric ADEs.
