[Risk prescription associated to treatment at home of the elderly patient when admitted to the hospital]. / Prescripciones de riesgo asociadas al tratamiento domiciliario del paciente anciano al ingreso hospitalario.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, the incidence of error, and the potential harm associated to particular prescriptions identified as a risk for medication error in the home treatment of elderly patients admitted to the hospital, as well as factors associated to their occurrence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Patients aged 65 years and older, being admitted to the hospital from the emergency department in the last quarter of 2009. The SPSS software version 15.0 was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: 324 patients were included in the study. 1,176 (47%) prescriptions were identified as risk prescriptions in 91% of the patients. The most relevant risk prescription was prescription of high-risk medications (51.5% patients) that accounted for an error incidence of 88/100 patients with high-risk medications, being severe in 68 patients. Factors associated to the occurrence of moderate/high risk error due to risk prescriptions were suffering from a chronic respiratory illness, diabetes or polymedication. CONCLUSIONS: Actions aimed at decreasing the errors due to high risk medications should be prioritized.

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia, la incidencia de error y el daño potencial asociado a determinadas prescripciones señaladas como de riesgo de error de medicación en el tratamiento domiciliario de pacientes ancianos que ingresan en el hospital, así como los factores asociados a su aparición. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal descriptivo. Se incluyeron los pacientes de edad igual o mayor a 65 años que ingresaron en el hospital desde el servicio de urgencias durante el último trimestre de 2009.Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el programa SPSSv15.0. Resultados: Se incluyeron en el estudio 324 pacientes. Se identificaron 1176 (47%) prescripciones de riesgo en el 91% de los pacientes. La prescripción de riesgo más relevante fue la prescripción de medicamentos de alto riesgo (51.5% pacientes) que presentó una incidencia de error de 88/100 pacientes con medicamentos de alto riesgo, de los cuales en 68 pacientes fue grave. Los factores asociados a la presencia de error grave/moderado ocasionado por prescripciones de riesgo fueron tener enfermedad respiratoria crónica o diabetes y la polimedicación. Conclusiones: Se deben priorizar actuaciones dirigidas a disminuir errores por medicamentos de alto riesgo.

[Assessment of standard parenteral nutrition in children]. / Evaluación de nutrición parenteral estandarizada en niños.

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, there is a stronger consensus on the proceedings of nutritional support with parenteral nutrition (PN) in paediatrics, the prescription standards, its formulation, elaboration, and nutritional requirements in order to improve the process quality and the patient's safety. The use of standardized PN solutions in children is rare due to the difficulty to adapt them to every pathophysiologic condition. In order to do so, in 2006 we designed and validated a big range of standard solutions for children weighing more than 10 kg or being older than 1 year. OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of standard PN solutions and their suitability in children from January of 2006 until June of 2008: the frequency of prescription of standard solutions by age, weight, and indication, as well as their modifications. We compared the nutrients given by individualized PN solutions versus the recommendations of the Reference Guidelines and standardised PN. RESULTS: 47 children with a mean weight of 26.6 kg (9-50) and mean age 6.8 years (1-14) received 539 units of PN. Standardized PN (437) were used in 83% of the patients. Their total energy requirements were reached within 1-3 days by using one to three types of formulas. Only 4% (22) of them were modified, with easily feasible changes: volume increase (16), glucose lowering (3), and potassium increase (3). The analysis of the individualized PN in 8 children shows the same trend, with a caloric intake lower than 33% of the recommended one. CONCLUSION: Standardized PN meet the nutritional requirements in most of the patients according to their morbid condition, highlighting their adaptability and versatility. Their use has eased the prescription-validation-preparation circuit and has improved the efficiency of the process.