Incidence, characteristics, and predictive factors for medication errors in paediatric anaesthesia: a prospective incident monitoring study

Medication errors are not uncommon in hospitalized patients. Paediatric patients may have increased risk for medication errors related to complexity of weight-based dosing calculations or problems with drug preparation and dilution. This study aimed to determine the incidence of medication errors in paediatric anaesthesia in a university paediatric hospital, and to identify their characteristics and potential predictive factors. This prospective incident monitoring study was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016 in an exclusively paediatric surgical centre. Children 120 min was the only factor independently associated with medication error [adjusted odds ratio: 4 (95% confidence interval: 2–8); P=0.0001]. Medication errors are not uncommon in paediatric anaesthesia. Identification of the mechanisms related to medication errors might allow preventive measures that can be assessed in further studies.