Medication Errors?

[Monica08]

So here's an example.. What if a medication for nebulization Salbutamol(Ventolin) was given intravenously instead of nebulization. what happens to the patient?

[LaughingRN]

Albuterol in higher concentrations are kept in multi use vials in our hospital (stored in our pharmacy for safety), When I give a 20 mg neb of albuterol for severe hyperkalemia, I draw it from the concentrated vial in a syringe, and transfer the med to the neb.

in this case, the mix of using the syringe + trying to give the 5 med combo for hyperkalemia (most IV) I suppose I could see how it could occur.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

Ours are either prefilled or in a bottle that has a dropper attached. Sounds like an assignment to me.

[PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN]

Albuterol in higher concentrations are kept in multi use vials in our hospital (stored in our pharmacy for safety), When I give a 20 mg neb of albuterol for severe hyperkalemia, I draw it from the concentrated vial in a syringe, and transfer the med to the neb.

in this case, the mix of using the syringe + trying to give the 5 med combo for hyperkalemia (most IV) I suppose I could see how it could occur.

Now that you say that I do remember the small bottle. OK, so now we know it is possible to draw it up in a needless syringe and technically provide it via IV. So I guess we answer the OP question. What do you do if you did that?

CONTACT THE PROVIDER STAT. Its a med error.

[iceprincess492]

That may be the weirdest question I've ever heard:confused:

[maelstrom143]

I think the question was "what happens to the patient," not what must we do after such an error.

As to what happens to the patient...I haven't a clue...and hope NEVER to find out.

Edited to add:

Wow...Salbutamol can be given IV , just not sure if the neb form is the same as the IV form. Sorry.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

And the OP is .....where?

[Sparrowhawk]

My brain hurts.

[Wave Watcher]

And the OP is .....where?

:redlight: Running. Really fast. Far far away.

[atcha67]

..i'm sorry to hear that...but it's a big No-No! it's been like, 4 hours now...is the patient still breathing?...

[realnursealso/LPN, LPN]

:igtsyt:This old, chubby, nurse, is running away chewing!

[favthing, APRN]

A response that I got from a resident I wanted to send out to ER for eval, with her refusal, was "I'd rather you throw me on hot coals than send me there!" With an error potential like this I now see she may have had a point, as she was speaking regarding her distrust.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Too much missing information....i.e.- the OP's role in medication administration (and where she learned "IVV" and "TT"), the setting, the outcome, etc.

Wondering if a pre-pre-pre nursing student is just wondering? OR if this happened, and had a predictably bad outcome, and now re-thinking saying anything else???