Preventing “Disconnect” between ED and Other Departments

Deploying an integrated or fully interfaced electronic health record (EHR) system can reduce the potential for “extra dose” medication errors by ensuring that medications administered in the emergency department (ED) can be viewed by caregivers in other departments, according to a commentary from the May 2012 edition of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) online case study review, WebM&M. In the spotlight case, a 74-year-old man with a history of diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the ED for left lower extremity pain, swelling, and erythema. After being diagnosed with cellulitis and prescribed vancomycin, the patient's first dose of medication was administered in the ED. On admission to the hospital, the admitting nurse noted the vancomycin order and—unaware that the patient had received a dose in the ED—administered another dose.