Category: Medication Safety

Antibiotic Stewardship when an Allergy Label is Present Improves Our Antibiotic Care and Treatment Outcomes

Did You Know? Although 10% of the population in the U.S. reports a penicillin allergy, less than 1% of the population is truly penicillin allergic. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are often used as an alternative to penicillins. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in patients labeled “penicillin-allergic” is associated with higher healthcare costs, increased risk for antimicrobial resistance, Read More >

Posted on by Guest Author: Cosby Stone, Jr. MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonology, and Critical Care Medicine within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center2 CommentsTags , , , , ,

One Pill Can Kill

Our daughter, Maisie, died after ingesting a methadone pill at a neighbor’s house that was on the floor. Six adults, three of them doctors, were with her the entire evening. Still, the small white pill found her hand, and then, as a nine-month-old baby would do, found her mouth. After putting Maisie to bed during Read More >

Posted on by Adam and MaryBeth Gillan, Maisie’s parents1 CommentTags

Medication Safety for Parents & Caregivers

When our children don’t feel well, we parents will look to just about anything to bring them comfort. Many times, this means reaching for medication to ease their symptoms. As a pediatrician, I know the safest place to store medicine in between uses is in a location up and away. But as a mom, I’ve Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Hailey Nelson, MD, FAAP, IBCLCTags , , ,

When Prescribed Incorrectly, Lifesaving Antibiotics Can Be Dangerous, Carry Real Risks

Rachel Brummert, B.S., M.S., President of Patient Safety Impact In 2006, my doctor prescribed me Levaquin—a fluoroquinolone antibiotic—for a suspected sinus infection. A few weeks later, I ruptured my Achilles tendon while walking across a parking lot to my car. Since that time, I have suffered 24 tendon ruptures, each of which required extensive reconstructive Read More >

Posted on by CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog11 CommentsTags ,