Question

Two women — one named Camilla Tyler, the other named Camilla Taylor — arrive at a particularly busy emergency department at about the same time. Ms. Tyler needs a sedative, and Ms. Taylor needs an antibiotic. The doctor orders the medications, but mixes up the patients when filling out the order sheets. The pharmacist dispenses the medications as ordered, and the nurse administers an antibiotic to Ms. Tyler and a sedative to Ms. Taylor.

What is one of the latent errors in this scenario?

(A) The emergency department is particularly busy.
(B) The nurse administers an antibiotic to Ms. Tyler and a sedative to Ms. Taylor.
(C) The forms are completed by hand at the same time for different patients.
(D) The two patients in this case have very similar names.

Answer 1

The latent error in the scenario where two women with similar names received the wrong medications is the similarity of the patients' names, which can lead to confusion and medication errors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to identifying a latent error in a scenario where two patients, Camilla Tyler and Camilla Taylor, were given the wrong medications due to their similar names. A latent error is a systemic error that can lead to mistakes in the healthcare setting. In the given scenario, one of the latent errors is (D) The two patients in this case have very similar names. This is a systemic issue because it increases the chances of confusion among healthcare providers, leading to medication errors. Similar patient names are a recognized risk factor in medical errors and should be addressed through better hospital systems and protocols to prevent mix-ups.