OBJECTIVE Medication dosing errors are of particular concern in hospitalized children. Avoidance of such errors is essential to quality improvement and patient safety. Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems with clinical decision support (CDS) have the potential to reduce medication errors. The objective of this study was to evaluate provider response to the dosing alerts in a CPOE sy...

Episodes of choking during medication administration to patients with dysphagia prompted a chart audit and caregiver interview to identify system problems that allowed inappropriate drug administration to occur. Sixty elderly patients residing on two patient care areas in a 500-bed complex continuing care facility were studied. The audit explored the actual nursing medication administration met...

Intravenous (IV) medications are vital in the management of hospitalized patients. Inpatients frequently receive several IV medications concurrently, and these are commonly delivered with infusion pump systems. In particular, critically ill patients receive potent "high-alert" IV drugs, many with narrow safety margins requiring careful nursing titration. However, while intravenous medications h...

Pain, anxiety, fear, distress, and agitation are often experienced by children undergoing medical treatment. Contributory factors may include separation from parents, unfamiliar surroundings, sleep disturbance, and invasive procedures. Children receive analgesia and sedatives to promote comfort, create a safe environment for patient and caregiver, and increase patient tolerance to medical inter...

How important are PVCs and what should we do about them? PVCs are not a disease in themselves, but a marker of possible underlying conditions that may increase the risk of cardiac death. They serve as a flag to alert us to exclude structural heart disease, the presence of which is the strongest predictor of adverse events. However, it is important to know that PVCs are common in people with no ...

INTRODUCTION Syphilis is well known as an infectious disease which can present with a large variety of symptoms. Clinical diagnosis can be difficult and may be complicated in modern medicine by immunosuppressive treatment and possible side effects of medication. CASE PRESENTATION We describe a rare case of placoid chorioretinitis due to Treponema pallidum which developed after the primary sym...

Background The spread of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents a global crisis and is a major barrier to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). WHO identifies six important risk factors that are associated with NCDs: tobacco use, physical inactivity, overweight/ obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and high blood glucose levels. Alert village is an Indones...

QUESTION I frequently suggest to parents to use acetaminophen to treat their children's fever and pain. Recently, I had a child in my office who presented with a target-lesion skin rash a day after receiving acetaminophen. The rash resolved after 3 days and after stopping administration of acetaminophen. Does acetaminophen carry a risk of adverse events such as this? ANSWER Like any other med...