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EHR data used to identify overdose risks
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 26, 2012
Using electronic health record data, researchers in Boston found that some hospitalized patients might be receiving higher-than-recommended doses of acetaminophen for pain.
For the study, published online in the November Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers examined the electronic medication administration record data of more than 14,000 patients at two Boston-area hospitals who were admitted between June 1, 2010, and Aug. 31, 2010. They found that 6.6% of patients received more than the recommended 4-gram-per-day dosage of acetaminophen. Researchers said the electronic records enabled them to accurately measure patients’ intake of the drug.
They concluded that use of computerized clinical decision support tools that produce alerts, such as liver toxicity warnings, could help clinicians better comply with dosing guidelines and mitigate overdosing risks (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/11/26/bibf1126.htm.