Study finds errors commonplace with PPH treatment drugs

Serious or fatal injuries resulting from medication errors are commonplace among patients receiving drugs to treat primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), a new study has found. According to research presented at an annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, the majority of doctors and nurses who have administered the PPH drugs Flonan and Remodulin have witnessed errors in how the drugs were given to patients.

Both Flonan and Remodulin are part of a class of drugs known as prostacyclins, which help to treat PPH by widening blood vessels to decrease blood pressure in the lungs and by preventing blood from clotting. Prostacyclin drugs must be administered in small doses because of their potency, and must be continuously administered into the body in order for PPH patients to survive.

According to the new study, 68% of doctors surveyed had witnessed errors in how prostacyclins such as Flonan and Remodulin were given to patients. These errors included administering too much or too little medication, accidentally stopping an infusion or providing the incorrect medication. Nearly 30% of doctors had witnessed serious errors in how the drugs were administered, including at least 9 cases that were fatal. A total of 94% of nurses surveyed in the study reported witnessing serious medication errors, including three fatalities.

Based on interviews with nurses and physicians, study researchers recommended better record keeping practices, more training for doctors and other increases in safety precautions in order to prevent injuries or deaths resulting from the improper administration of PPH treatment drugs.