Variability in the concentrations of intravenous drug infusions prepared in a critical care unit.

Objective: To quantify the variability in the concentration of drug infusions prepared on an intensive care unit and establish whether there was a relationship between the quality of syringe labeling and drug preparation.

Design: Audit carried out over 3 weeks in May 2006 and completed in May 2007.

Setting: The adult neurosciences critical care unit of a UK university teaching hospital.