[Implementation of NeoKissEs in Spain: A validated surveillance system for nosocomial sepsis in very low birth weight infants].

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are the most frequent nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), especially in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight ≤ 1500g). An epidemiologic surveillance system may contribute to the prevention of infection by continuous monitoring of its frequency and associated risk factors. The aim of this article was to describe the implementation of the NeoKissEs surveillance system for BSIs in VLBW newborns in a group of Spanish NICUs.

Educational strategy to reduce medication errors in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effect of a comprehensive preventive educational strategy on the number and type of drug errors in the prescription process in a regional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Design: Medication errors during prescription were recorded in a 41 bed, level III regional neonatal unit by a pharmacist. Data were retrieved from handwritten doctor's orders and introduced at bedsite into an e-database.

Medication errors in a neonatal intensive care unit. Influence of observation on the error rate.

Aim: To study if medication error rate decreased as a consequence of a simple observation process of registering its occurrence.

Methods: Prescription and transcription processes were prospectively registered along two different period of time in a level III regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: a pilot phase, aimed to know the baseline drug error rate and a phase I, a pre-intervention phase, both part of a study designed to determinate the effect of a preventive strategy in drug error rate. Random drug prescriptions by physicians and their transcriptions by nurses were reviewed and registered by a hospital pharmacist.

[Do neonates have the same pharmacotherapeutic opportunities as adults?].

Introduction: The use of drugs in pediatrics, specially in neonates, poses two main problems: the legal conditions for their use in this population and the lack of commercial formulations suitable for pediatric dosing.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the drug prescriptions of all patients admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit over 46 days, chosen at random between September and November 2005.

Results: A total of 2,558 drug prescriptions were issued, corresponding to 62 different drugs.

[Medication prescription and transcription errors in a neonatal unit].

Background: Medication errors occur because of pitfalls in one or more of the steps involved in the process of drug administration and should be considered as system errors. They should never be considered as human errors with assignment of responsibility. Rather, their causes should be analyzed to prevent repetition.