Non–Health Care Facility Cardiovascular Medication Errors in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 825-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrit K. Kamboj ◽  
Henry A. Spiller ◽  
Marcel J. Casavant ◽  
Nichole L. Hodges ◽  
Thiphalak Chounthirath ◽  
...  

Background: Prior studies have not examined national trends and characteristics of unintentional non–health care facility (HCF) medication errors associated with cardiovascular drugs. Objective: To investigate non-HCF medication errors associated with cardiovascular drugs reported to poison control centers in the United States. Methods: A retrospective analysis of non-HCF medication errors associated with cardiovascular drugs from 2000 to 2012 was conducted using the National Poison Data System database. Results: There were 278 444 medication errors associated with cardiovascular drugs reported to US poison control centers during the study period, averaging 21 419 exposures annually. The overall rate of cardiovascular medication errors per 100 000 population increased 104.6% from 2000 to 2012 ( P < 0.001) and the highest rates were among older adults. Most cases (83.6%) did not require treatment at a HCF. Serious medical outcomes were reported in 4.0% of exposures. The cardiovascular drugs most commonly implicated in medication errors were β-blockers (28.2%), calcium antagonists (17.7%), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (15.9%). Most of the 114 deaths were associated with cardiac glycosides (47.4%) or calcium antagonists (29.8%). Most medication errors involved taking or being given a medication twice (52.6%). Conclusions: This study describes characteristics and trends of non-HCF cardiovascular medication errors over a 13-year period in the United States. The number and rate of cardiovascular medication errors increased steadily from 2000 to 2012, with the highest error rates among older adults. Further research is needed to identify prevention strategies for these errors, with a particular focus on the older adult population.

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-302
Author(s):  
Pranav Magal ◽  
Henry A. Spiller ◽  
Marcel J. Casavant ◽  
Thitphalak Chounthirath ◽  
Nichole L. Hodges ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 561-570
Author(s):  
Emily A DeDonato ◽  
Henry A Spiller ◽  
Marcel J Casavant ◽  
Thitphalak Chounthirath ◽  
Nichole L Hodges ◽  
...  

Introduction: This study provides an epidemiological description of non-health care facility medication errors involving anticonvulsant drugs. Methods: A retrospective analysis of National Poison Data System data was conducted on non-health care facility medication errors involving anticonvulsant drugs reported to US Poison Control Centers from 2000 through 2012. Results: During the study period, 108,446 non-health care facility medication errors involving anticonvulsant pharmaceuticals were reported to US Poison Control Centers, averaging 8342 exposures annually. The annual frequency and rate of errors increased significantly over the study period, by 96.6 and 76.7%, respectively. The rate of exposures resulting in health care facility use increased by 83.3% and the rate of exposures resulting in serious medical outcomes increased by 62.3%. In 2012, newer anticonvulsants, including felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, other anticonvulsants (excluding barbiturates), other types of gamma aminobutyric acid, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, and zonisamide, accounted for 67.1% of all exposures. Conclusions: The rate of non-health care facility anticonvulsant medication errors reported to Poison Control Centers increased during 2000–2012, resulting in more frequent health care facility use and serious medical outcomes. Newer anticonvulsants, although often considered safer and more easily tolerated, were responsible for much of this trend and should still be administered with caution.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 767-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Doroudgar ◽  
PJ Perry ◽  
GD Lackey ◽  
NG Veselova ◽  
HM Chuang ◽  
...  

Venlafaxine is commonly used in the United States for approved and non-Food and Drug Administration–approved indications in adults. It is used off-label to treat children for psychiatric diagnoses. The aim of the study was to describe venlafaxine toxicities in children and to identify the venlafaxine dose per weight that correlates with toxicities. An 11-year retrospective study of venlafaxine ingestion in children was performed using the California Poison Control System (CPCS) database. Data was extracted from phone calls received by CPCS clinicians and follow-up phone calls made to assess the patient’s progress in a health-care setting. Inclusion criteria were venlafaxine ingestion cases reported to CPCS between January 2001 and December 2011, children aged 20 years and under, venlafaxine as the only ingested substance, managed in a health-care facility, and followed to a known outcome. Two hundred sixty-two cases met the study criteria. Common presentations included gastrointestinal (14.9%), altered mental status (13.7%), and tachycardia (13.4%). The majority of the cases resulted in no effect (51.5%) or minor effect (19.9%). The average estimated dose per weight was 18.3 mg/kg in all patients and 64.5 mg/kg in those experiencing moderate-to-severe adverse effects. Seizures occurred in only 4 of the 262 cases at doses ranging from 1500 to 7500 mg. Although the estimated dose per weight exceeded 10 mg/kg for the majority of the cases, only 12 cases resulted in moderate or severe outcomes. The majority of venlafaxine ingestion cases in children resulted in either no clinical effects or minor clinical effects.


2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
MB Forrester

Information on potentially adverse exposures to the atypical antipsychotic drug ziprasidone is limited. This study described the pattern of exposures involving only ziprasidone (isolated exposures) reported to Texas poison control centers during 2001–2005. The mean dose was 666 mg. The patient age distribution was ≤5 years (11%), 6–19 years (30%), and ≥20 years (60%). The exposures were intentional in 53% of the cases. Seventy-five percent of the exposures were managed at health care facilities. The final medical outcome was classified as no effect for 39% of the cases and minor effects for 40% of the cases. Adverse clinical effects were listed for 53% of the patients; the most frequently reported being neurological (42%), cardiovascular (13%), and gastrointestinal (5%). The most frequently listed treatment was decontamination by charcoal (34%) or cathartic (28%). Potentially adverse ziprasidone exposures reported to poison control centers are likely to involve management at a health care facility and involve some sort of adverse clinical effect. With proper treatment, the outcomes of such exposures are generally favorable.


2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichole L. Hodges ◽  
Henry A. Spiller ◽  
Marcel J. Casavant ◽  
Thiphalak Chounthirath ◽  
Gary A. Smith

2007 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 563-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
MB Forrester

Limited information exists on potentially adverse adult glyburide ingestions reported to poison control centers. Using adult glyburide ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers during 1998—2005, the proportion of cases involving serious outcomes was determined for selected variables and evaluated for statistical significance by calculating the rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Of 126 cases identified, 49 (39%) involved serious outcomes. Serious outcomes were significantly more likely to occur with a maximum dose > 24 mg (RR 4.74, 95% CI 1.74—14.90) or >4 tablets (RR 3.27, CI 1.57—7.31), where the circumstances of the exposures involved self-harm or malicious intent (RR 2.44, CI 1.33—4.46), or the patient was already at or en route to a health care facility when the poison control center was contacted (RR 12.89, CI 4.00—66.12) or referred to a health care facility by the poison control center (RR 12.21, CI 3.53—65.01). The severity of the outcome associated with adult glyburide ingestions depended on the dose and the circumstances of the ingestion. The management of patients with severe outcomes was more likely to involve health care facilities. Such information is useful for creating triage guidelines for the management of adult glyburide ingestions. Human & Experimental Toxicology (2007) 26: 563—571.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 834-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dima M. Qato ◽  
Stacy Tessler Lindau ◽  
Rena M. Conti ◽  
L. Philip Schumm ◽  
G. Caleb Alexander

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
BAOGUANG WANG ◽  
Sherry T. Liu ◽  
Brian Rostron ◽  
Camille Hayslett

Abstract Background: United States (U.S.) national data indicate that 2,035 individuals with burn injuries from e-cigarette explosions presented to U.S. hospital emergency departments (EDs) in 2015-2017. This national estimate is valuable for understanding the burden of burn injuries from e-cigarette explosions among individuals who presented to EDs. However, little is known about individuals who experienced e-cigarette-related burns but may not present to EDs or health care facilities.Findings: We analyzed data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) to describe frequency and characteristics of e-cigarette-related burn cases in the U.S. in 2010-2019. NPDS contains information collected during telephone calls to poison control centers (PCCs) across the U.S., including e-cigarette-related burns and other unintended events. During 2010-2019, 19,306 exposure cases involving e-cigarettes were documented in NPDS. Of those, 69 were burn cases. The number of burn cases increased from one in 2011 to a peak of 26 in 2016, then decreased to three in 2019. The majority of the burn cases occurred among young adults aged 18-24 years (29.0%; n=20) and adults aged 25 years or older (43.5%; n=30); 14.4% occurred among individuals ≤ 17 years old. Of the 69 burn cases, 5.8% (n=4) were admitted to a hospital; 65.2% (n=45) were treated and released; 15.9 % (n=11) were not referred to a health care facility (HCF); 4.4% (n=3) refused referral or did not arrive at an HCF; and 8.7% (n=6) were lost to follow-up or left the HCF against medical advice. Nearly one-third (30.4%; n=21) of the cases had a minor effect (symptoms resolved quickly), 47.8% (n=33) had a moderate effect (symptoms were more pronounced and prolonged than in minor cases, but not life-threatening), and 2.9% (n=2) had a major effect (life-threatening symptoms).Conclusions: Approximately one-fifth of e-cigarette-related burn cases reported to PCCs were not referred to or did not arrive at an HCF. Some burn cases had serious medical outcomes. The burn cases mostly affected young adults and adults aged 25 years or older. The number of burn cases in NPDS represents a small portion of e-cigarette-related burn cases but it can serve as a complementary data source to traditional injury surveillance systems.


2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias B Forrester

Few data exist on potentially adverse metaxalone (Skelaxin®) ingestions in adults. All metaxalone ingestions involving patients aged ≥20 years during 2000-2006 were retrieved from Texas poison control centers. Exclusion criteria were lack of follow-up or multiple substance ingestion. Cases were analyzed for selected demographic and clinical factors. Of the 142 patients, 66.2% were female. Dose ingested was reported for 61 patients. Of those cases with a reported dose, distribution by management site was 29.5% on-site, 59.0% already at/en route to health care facility, and 11.5% referred to health care facility. Final medical outcome was ‘no effect’ for 50.8% cases, ‘minor effect’ for 31.1%, and ‘moderate effect’ for 18.0%. The more common adverse clinical effects reported were drowsiness (27.9%), tachycardia (6.6%), agitation (6.6%), nausea (4.9%), dizziness (4.9%), slurred speech (4.9%), and tremor (4.9%). A moderate medical outcome occurred in 13.6% of ingestions of ≤2400 mg and 20.5% of ingestions of >2400 mg. Management involved a health care facility in 18.2% of ingestions of ≤2400 mg and 100.0% of ingestions of >2400 mg. This study found that adult ingestions of higher doses of metaxalone, particularly >2400 mg, were associated with more serious medical outcomes and were managed at health care facilities. This study also proposes triage guidelines for when ingestions can be safely managed at home.


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