Safety of the Antibiotic Medication Use Process in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Understanding the antibiotic medication use process in the intensive care unit (ICU) is important for patient care outcomes. A system view of the medication use process facilitates understanding the role of communication between various disciplines in ensuring the timely administration of antibiotics. Antibiotic-related medication safety events (N = 312) were collected in two adult ICUs. We describe the information and communication flow in the medication use process and show the complexity of the process. An in-depth analysis of 101 (32%) events for late first-dose antibiotic identifies multiple factors contributing to the events.