Audit on the assessment of the practice of storage, labeling, and usage of anesthetic medications in the operation theaters at a comprehensive specialized hospital, 2024: observational study

Background: Anesthetic drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, making proper storage, labeling, and usage essential to prevent medication errors and ensure patient safety. Medication errors in the operating room, particularly with injectable medications, pose a significant risk to patients. Factors such as insufficient labeling, disorganized drug trays, and reliance on factors other than labels for drug identification contribute to an increased likelihood of errors. However, this problem remains unexplored in our hospital operation theaters. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from 1 July 2024 to 30 July 2024. All surgical procedures performed in the main and obstetric operation rooms were included. Data were collected using direct observations and interviews. Data were collected using Kobo Toolbox, exported to Excel, and entered into SPSS version 28 for descriptive analysis. The findings are presented in terms of frequencies and percentages. Results: Out of all the standards designed to assess the practice of labeling, usage, and storage of anesthetic medications in operation theaters, none of the criteria was 100% accomplished. There is the highest accomplishment for the induction agent labeled with 48 (77.4%). Some practices were not implemented at all, including swabbing vial tops to minimize infection risk, securely storing intravenous potassium, flushing the IV cannula to reduce the risk of inadvertent drug administration, and reporting medication incidents and adverse events in departmental meetings. Conclusion: The practice of labeling, usage, and storage of anesthetic medications is substandard in our hospital operation theaters. It is imperative to strengthen the system by developing protocols, providing adequate training, and improving the work environment.