Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023
Abstract Background The use of medication in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a complex field that requires special attention, as neonatal patients may have different sensitivities and responses to drugs than adults and older children. The administration of medication in the NICU must cons...
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2025-05-01
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| Series: | Italian Journal of Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-025-02003-w |
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| author | Yi Wang Linhong Song Yanhua Wang Jun Li Yuanyuan Xie Lei Yan Huixia Zhou Siqi Hu |
| author_facet | Yi Wang Linhong Song Yanhua Wang Jun Li Yuanyuan Xie Lei Yan Huixia Zhou Siqi Hu |
| author_sort | Yi Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The use of medication in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a complex field that requires special attention, as neonatal patients may have different sensitivities and responses to drugs than adults and older children. The administration of medication in the NICU must consider various factors, including the dosage of the medication, the route of administration, monitoring, and potential drug interactions. Methods In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit of 122 preterm infants treated in our hospital from 2020 to 2023. Results Correlation analysis revealed that among perinatal clinical characteristics, birth weight was moderately positively correlated with gestational age, with a correlation coefficient greater than that of birth weight with the Apgar score. The top 3 medication types in the NICU were “vitamins, nutritional drugs, enzyme preparations and drugs that regulate water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance”, “blood hematopoietic system medications”, and “antimicrobial medications”. From 2020 to 2023, the most commonly used drugs in the NICU were vitamin AD (vitamin A and vitamin D) drops and calcium gluconate injections. In addition, we demonstrated that the most commonly prescribed off-label drugs were vitamins, water and electrolyte balance nutrition drugs, and blood circulation system drugs. Conclusions Our retrospective study will not only help identify and evaluate interventions to reduce medication errors but also aid healthcare systems and providers in understanding, implementing, and enhancing these interventions to improve the safety and quality of care for newborns. Nonetheless, further research is needed to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of various medication safety interventions to facilitate their adoption and implementation in the decision-making process. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0a3a7451bce42819c155ce909c06d94 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1824-7288 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Italian Journal of Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0a3a7451bce42819c155ce909c06d942025-08-20T03:48:15ZengBMCItalian Journal of Pediatrics1824-72882025-05-015111910.1186/s13052-025-02003-wMedication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023Yi Wang0Linhong Song1Yanhua Wang2Jun Li3Yuanyuan Xie4Lei Yan5Huixia Zhou6Siqi Hu7Institute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalNational Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defect Prevention and Control of Key TechnologyInstitute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalInstitute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalInstitute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalInstitute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalNational Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defect Prevention and Control of Key TechnologyInstitute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General HospitalAbstract Background The use of medication in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a complex field that requires special attention, as neonatal patients may have different sensitivities and responses to drugs than adults and older children. The administration of medication in the NICU must consider various factors, including the dosage of the medication, the route of administration, monitoring, and potential drug interactions. Methods In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit of 122 preterm infants treated in our hospital from 2020 to 2023. Results Correlation analysis revealed that among perinatal clinical characteristics, birth weight was moderately positively correlated with gestational age, with a correlation coefficient greater than that of birth weight with the Apgar score. The top 3 medication types in the NICU were “vitamins, nutritional drugs, enzyme preparations and drugs that regulate water, electrolytes, and acid-base balance”, “blood hematopoietic system medications”, and “antimicrobial medications”. From 2020 to 2023, the most commonly used drugs in the NICU were vitamin AD (vitamin A and vitamin D) drops and calcium gluconate injections. In addition, we demonstrated that the most commonly prescribed off-label drugs were vitamins, water and electrolyte balance nutrition drugs, and blood circulation system drugs. Conclusions Our retrospective study will not only help identify and evaluate interventions to reduce medication errors but also aid healthcare systems and providers in understanding, implementing, and enhancing these interventions to improve the safety and quality of care for newborns. Nonetheless, further research is needed to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of various medication safety interventions to facilitate their adoption and implementation in the decision-making process.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-025-02003-wNeonatal intensive care unitOff-label drugClinical pharmacologyPharmacotherapyTrends over time |
| spellingShingle | Yi Wang Linhong Song Yanhua Wang Jun Li Yuanyuan Xie Lei Yan Huixia Zhou Siqi Hu Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 Italian Journal of Pediatrics Neonatal intensive care unit Off-label drug Clinical pharmacology Pharmacotherapy Trends over time |
| title | Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 |
| title_full | Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 |
| title_fullStr | Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 |
| title_short | Medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in China from 2020 to 2023 |
| title_sort | medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital in china from 2020 to 2023 |
| topic | Neonatal intensive care unit Off-label drug Clinical pharmacology Pharmacotherapy Trends over time |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-025-02003-w |
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