An injured patient’s medical history and current medications can be vital information to trauma workers, but details often are not available.
“Only 15 percent(of the time), do we get all the medication accurate when they first come through the door,” Dr. S. Lee Miller, director of trauma services, said from Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.
Miller led a study of 234 patients admitted to Memorial’s Level 1 trauma center, comparing accuracy of medication histories obtained in the emergency department with results tabulated by a clinical pharmacist after admission.
Results of the study, published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, suggest that inaccuracies are common.
But Miller stresses patients have the power to prevent most errors.
“We do a really poor job at getting medication history,” Miller said. “But the problem is not the hospital staff. Most people don’t remember.”
Even if they are conscious and alert, patients often can’t name all their prescriptions, along with the dosage and frequency, he said. Family members usually are even less reliable sources.
“It is not the facility that causes patients’ medication reconciliation errors,” Miller said.
“It is that doctors must rely on the patient or family to have a medication list available with them – which is not often the case,”
Modern technology and convenience complicate the situation because patients rarely have one local druggist to confirm their information.
Many patients use more than one pharmacy, and things such as mail order prescriptions, Internet sales and Canadian drugs complicate the process.
“There is no easy way to find out,” Miller said.
Even patients’ primary care doctors often have no record of prescriptions from the cardiologist or endocrinologist.
“One of the problems we have with in-patients is making sure they get the same medication they have been getting as out-patients,” Miller said.
“The trauma physician never had a relationship with the patient before they come into the emergency room.”
Electronic medical records may help in the future, Miller said, urging the development of a national database.
But in the meantime, patients should become proactive, he said.
“Carry a list of all medications: Yours, your spouse’s and your children’s,” he said. “Keep it updated. Make sure your primary care doctor knows all the medicine you are taking.”
Local News
Study: Patients giving inaccurate information
- Local News
-
-
Book honors Flight 93 co-pilot Homer
The widow of Flight 93 copilot LeRoy W. Homer Jr. is releasing a book this month on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
-
Mild winter speeds work: Entertainment venue may be complete by end of May
An unusually mild winter has accelerated construction of a new outdoor entertainment venue in Johnstown.
-
Man jailed on rash of charges
A Patton man is being held on $100,000 bond after police said he threatened to kill a woman, her family and himself unless she talked to him about a protection-from-abuse order.
-
Blogging with heart
Anyone else have this issue: The more I know, the more I want to learn.
As I am writing my heart month stories for this week’s packages, I occasionally come across a term or description unfamiliar to me. So I look it up. And then the definition or article has something else that sounds important, so I look that up. -
Cambria abolishes 16 jobs
Following through on promises to cut budget costs, the Cambria County commissioners voted Thursday to abolish 16 positions, including nine full-time jobs.
-
Wozniak defends his support of drilling bill
State Sen. John Wozniak, D-Westmont, one of only seven Democrats to support the Marcellus Shale legislation adopted this week, said the bill protects the environment and provides help to local communities impacted by the natural gas drilling.
-
Businessman hoping to unseat Wozniak
Tim Houser uses two words – “challenging opportunity” – to describe his goal in this year’s elections.
-
Judge tosses evidence in robbery
A Cambria County prosecutor said he’ll have to drop robbery charges against a Twin Rocks woman after much of his evidence was suppressed by a judge.
-
Shooting defendant pleads to attempted murder
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday in county court to attempted murder and theft in a Nov. 18 home invasion in which the homeowner was shot.
-
Garrett man sought in Somerset crime
An arrest warrant has been issued for Samuel McFarland Jr., 33, of Berlin Street in Garrett in connection with Saturday’s robbery of two boys outside Dollar General on East Main Street in Somerset.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Book honors Flight 93 co-pilot Homer
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
