Association between neonatal intensive care unit medication safety practices, adverse events, and death.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the associations between neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) medication safety practices, laboratory-based adverse events (lab-AEs), and death. STUDY DESIGN: We combined data from a 2016 survey of Pediatrix NICUs on use of medication safety practices with 2014-2016 infant data. We grouped NICUs based on the number of safety practices used (≤5, 6-7, and 8-10) and evaluated the association between the number of safety practices used and lab-AEs and deaths using logistic regressions. RESULTS: Of the 94 NICUs included, 17% used ≤5 medication safety practices, 51% used 6-7, and 32% used 8-10. NICUs with more safety practices did not have a difference in lab-AEs or death. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, the use of more medication safety practices was not associated with fewer lab-AEs or decreased death.

Duke Scholars

Author Charles Michael Cotten Pediatrics, Neonatology

Author Phillip Brian Smith Pediatrics, Neonatology

Author Daniel Kelly Benjamin Jr. Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases

Author Chi Hornik Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine

Author Rachel Gottron Greenberg Pediatrics, Neonatology