Risk Factors for Medication Errors in Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Age of the patient

• severely ill?

• had a prolonged stay in the ICU?

• sedated or unconscious?

• receiving a large number of medications?

• had a large number of interventions?

• been admitted to the ICU as an emergency?

• multiple drugs delivered by bolus?

• multiple drugs administered by infusion?

• drugs whose dose is based on a guessed body weight?

• drugs whose dosage must be calculated in a formula by hand?

• drugs via an infusion pump that requires programming?

• drugs with narrow therapeutic range?

• drugs that require a dose adjustment for renal failure or comorbid disease?

• a difficult place to work?

• a high stress environment with high turnover in providers?

• have multiple providers involved in the care of the patient?

• have other critically ill patients competing for the provider's attention?