Failure to Administer IV Medication as Ordered Due to Missing Infusion Rate
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with a history of atherosclerosis of the right leg with ulceration was ordered to receive intravenous meropenem every eight hours. The physician's order and the medication administration record did not specify the rate of infusion for the antibiotic. During observation, an LPN initiated the infusion at a rate of 125ml/hr, based on routine practice rather than a specific order. The medication bag itself indicated a rate of 100ml/hr, but the LPN did not initially follow this rate and did not contact the physician to clarify the appropriate infusion rate prior to administration. The facility's policy required nurses to verify that the medication label matched the prescriber's order, including the infusion rate, and to contact the physician if the rate was not specified. Both the LPN and the DON acknowledged that the rate should have been confirmed with the physician before administration. The DON also confirmed that the order lacked the required infusion rate and emphasized the importance of this information for safe medication administration.