Patient safety frameworks categorize clinical incidents based on their origin, proximity to the patient, and ultimate outcome. Match each described healthcare scenario to its most appropriate patient safety classification term.
- A pharmacist intercepts a critically incorrect antibiotic dosage before the medication leaves the pharmacy.Near miss
- A patient sustains an unexpected, devastating neurological injury due to a procedural mix-up in the operating room.Sentinel event
- A resident accidentally selects the wrong patient profile when ordering a routine laboratory test.Active error
- A clinic's electronic prescribing software automatically defaults to an adult dosage regardless of the patient's entered age or weight.Latent error
Answer
The correct matches are: the intercepted dosage aligns with near miss, the unexpected devastating injury aligns with sentinel event, selecting the wrong profile aligns with active error, and the software defaulting to an adult dosage aligns with latent error.
Each healthcare scenario perfectly aligns with foundational patient safety definitions. A near miss causes no harm because it is intercepted. A sentinel event causes severe harm or death and acts as an immediate warning sign for the institution. An active error is a direct mistake by a frontline worker. A latent error is a systemic vulnerability built into healthcare processes or tools.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Classification of Patient Safety Incidents