Medication errors and their related aspects in antibiotic drugs used in pediatric inpatients with chest infections in the pediatric ward of a government hospital in a developing country: a prospective, cross-sectional study

Abstract Background and aim Children are particularly vulnerable to medication errors, with a greater risk of harm in young children and infants. These errors can lead to severe morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate medication errors, specifically antibiotic medications, and their related aspects among pediatric patients hospitalized with chest infections at Alsabeen Hospital in Sanaa, Yemen. Method A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital’s pediatric ward between 29 January and 29 July 2024. The study population consisted of pediatric inpatients aged 0–16 years. 119 pediatric inpatients were admitted to the hospital during the study period. Key findings From 119 study participants, 993 medication errors were identified. Medication errors (MEs) frequently occurred at the prescribing stage 459 (46.22%). The most common types of MEs were wrong rate 250 (25.2%), monitoring error (clinical) 177 (17.83%), and wrong strength/concentration 143 (14.4%). The presence of disease comorbidity indicates that 93 (78%) don’t have comorbidities, being male 68 (57.1%), and have a length of stay of 2–7 days 84 (70.5%). These factors were found to be independent predictors of the occurrence of medication errors. Conclusion Medication errors were prevalent among pediatric inpatients diagnosed with chest infections. Factors such as comorbidities, and length of hospitalization were found to be linked to the occurrence of medication errors. To minimize these errors, we suggest the utilization of e-prescribing, medication reconciliation, creating local antibiograms, and activating the clinical pharmacist's role in the hospital setting, which is crucial.