A recent Harvard study uncovered the alarming number of medication errors (124 in 277 surgeries) that occur during surgery. Surgical medication errors included drug labeling and documentation mistakes, incorrect dosing, and/or failing to properly treat changes in a patient’s vital signs.
The study is a result of the Massachusetts General Hospital’s efforts to quantify and address drug-error risk during surgery. Findings provide insight the hospital will use to determine areas that need further focus and action. While the researchers agreed the study findings were alarming, they were not shocked by the results. They noted surgery safety checks are often loosened or bypassed in the surgical environment because of its fast-paced and ever-changing nature.