What Is It About The Number "Ten" and Dosage Errors?

[DoGoodThenGo]

Ok was reading a news story from New Zealand hospital coping with several med dosage errors by nurses, with a few of them causing the ultimate poor outcome - death. What struck me is that as with reported errors here in the United States making the news recently the dosage was calcuated incorrectly by the nurses so ten times the correct amount was given. Why is it always "ten" and is there some sort of worldwide problem working with decimal points?

[AngelicDarkness]

This simply outlines the importance of the nurses knowing the correct dosage for the medications they are giving. Whether it is the amount or the form (mg vs. mcg), if you know what the normal dose is then you can clarify an order that is incorrectly written.

Very true. I also find it handy to have another nurse 2nd check my injections. We are only human after all :)

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Sounds like they're not double checking their calculations and meds. In Oz we have to double check our calc's with another RN. The system works well cos all the hospitals I worked in had no med errors on the floors I worked on to my knowledge. My old instructor drummed it into us - if unsure of anything check, check and triple check! (plus the normal double checking routine).