Preventing substitution errors involving high-concentration heparin products

Critical care practitioners routinely administer heparin for various indications (e.g., treatment of acute coronary syndrome, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, line maintenance) and by various routes (e.g., intravenously, subcutaneously). Knowledge of reported incidents involving high-concentratio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Canadian journal of critical care nursing Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 32
Main Authors Koczmara, Christine, Cheng, Roger, Hyland, Sylvia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Pembroke Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses 01.04.2008
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Summary:Critical care practitioners routinely administer heparin for various indications (e.g., treatment of acute coronary syndrome, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, line maintenance) and by various routes (e.g., intravenously, subcutaneously). Knowledge of reported incidents involving high-concentration heparin products can increase practitioner awareness of risks for error-induced injury associated with storage and administration of anticoagulants, such as heparin. Substitution errors leading to administration of an incorrect dose of unfractionated heparin are highlighted and suggestions for system-based error prevention strategies are provided.
ISSN:2368-8653