The following reference describes the opportunities for improved safety that are not addressed by a particular smart pump implementation.

Background

Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) frequently experience adverse drug events involving intravenous medications (IV-ADEs), which are often preventable.

Objectives

To determine how frequently preventable IV-ADEs in ICUs match the safety features of a programmable infusion pump with safety software (“smart pump”) and to suggest potential improvements in smart-pump design.