[Critical incidents due to drug administration error in the operating room: an analysis of 4,291,925 anesthetics over a 4 year period].

Background: Wrong drugs, overdose of drugs, and incorrect administration route remain unsolved problems in anesthetic practice. We determined the incidence and outcome of drug administration error in the operating room of Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists Certified Training Hospitals.

Methods: Data were obtained from annual surveys conducted by Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists between 1999 and 2002.