Medication safety in nonoperating room anesthesiology.

TitleMedication safety in nonoperating room anesthesiology.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsMack PFogarty
JournalCurr Opin Anaesthesiol
Volume34
Issue4
Pagination443-448
Date Published2021 Aug 01
ISSN1473-6500
KeywordsAnesthesia, Anesthesiologists, Anesthesiology, Humans, Operating Rooms
Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Medication errors remain a prominent source of medical harm in spite of over 20 years of effort in establishing standardized protocols and procedures, implementing assistive electronic technologies to identify medications and prevent administration errors and in establishing a just culture with regard to reporting events and near misses.

RECENT FINDINGS: Some of these interventions are even more necessary in the nonstandard environment of a non-operating room anesthesiology (NORA) procedure suite, where the anesthesiologist is often far removed from colleagues, in a dark room, lacking the standard medications commonly found in their operating room. Medication availability in NORA sites may be limited because of lack of standardization or distance from the operating room pharmacy. Proper preparation of medication may be impaired by poor lighting and cramped conditions. Medication administration might be hampered by a lack of infusion pumps or pumps without the proper medication library needed by the anesthesiologist.

SUMMARY: Specific attention must be paid to enhancement of medication safety in NORA sites to overcome additional challenges inherent in the provision of anesthesia care remote from the standard operating room setting.

DOI10.1097/ACO.0000000000001015
Alternate JournalCurr Opin Anaesthesiol
PubMed ID34010176