Drug errors

Did you know that over 770,000 people are injured or die in hospitals each year from adverse drug events (ADEs)?

And did you know that...
-The costs associated with ADEs could be as high as $5.6 billion annually?
-ADEs can increase your patient’s hospital stay by 8-12 days?
-Or, that nurses may be responsible for as many as 38% of ADEs?

Obviously ADEs are a major concern to nurses in any setting. But, just knowing more about your medications is not enough to prevent complications; you must know how drugs interact with your patients, and their lab tests.

Routine diagnostic tests such as the metabolic panel, blood count and arterial blood gas give you important clues about your patient’s underlying illness, his response to care and complications of medications. To provide the best possible care to your patients, it is imperative that you know these connections.