Advancing Neonatal Medication Safety: Standardisation of Smart-Pump Drug Libraries

Abstract

Medication safety remains one of the most challenging aspects of neonatal intensive care. Unlike most areas of medicine, neonatal prescribing and administration occur within an exceptionally narrow margin for error. Neonates range from extremely preterm infants weighing less than 500 grams to a term infant weighing more than 4 kilograms, yet many receive medicines delivered at rates measured in fractions of a millilitre per hour. In this setting, seemingly small inaccuracies in preparation, calculation, or administration can have profound clinical consequences...