Table 2. Percentage of survey respondents indicating knowledge of high-alert medications at UMHS (N = 778).
| Defined high-alert medication at study hospital | Composite (N = 778) n (%) | Nursing (n = 465) n (%) | Pharmacy (n = 136) n (%) | Prescribers (n = 177) n (%) |
| Concentrated electrolytes | 679 (87.3) | 410 (88.2) | 124 (91.2) | 145 (81.9) |
| Chemotherapy agents | 647 (83.2) | 397 (85.4) | 118 (86.8) | 132 (74.6) |
| Insulin | 640 (82.3) | 403 (86.7) | 121 (89) | 116 (65.5) |
| Neuromuscular agents | 626 (80.5) | 368 (79.1) | 115 (84.6) | 142 (80.2) |
| Anticoagulants | 608 (78.1) | 373 (80.2) | 103 (75.7) | 132 (74.6) |
| Intrathecal agents | 559 (71.9) | 331 (71.2) | 100 (73.5) | 128 (72.3) |
| Opiates (IV) | 537 (69) | 330 (71) | 96 (70.6) | 111 (62.7) |
| Anesthetic agents | 509 (65.4) | 334 (71.8) | 62 (45.6) | 113 (63.8) |
| Epidural opiates | 495 (63.6) | 313 (67.3) | 85 (62.5) | 97 (54.8) |
| Adrenergic agents (IV) | 477 (61.3) | 295 (63.4) | 53 (39) | 129 (72.9) |
| Sedation agents (IV) | 416 (53.5) | 269 (57.8) | 52 (38.2) | 95 (53.7) |
| Parenteral prostacyclins | 409 (52.6) | 247 (53.1) | 78 (57.4) | 84 (47.5) |
| Antiarrhythmics (IV) | 400 (51.4) | 274 (58.9) | 35 (25.7) | 91 (51.4) |
| Inotropic agents (IV) | 354 (45.5) | 242 (52) | 27 (19.8) | 85 (48) |
| Nitroprusside injection | 347 (44.6) | 226 (48.6) | 31 (22.8) | 90 (50.8) |
| Magnesium sulfate injection | 313 (40.2) | 232 (49.9) | 33 (24.3) | 48 (27.1) |
| Opiates (oral) | 286 (36.8) | 192 (41.3) | 41 (30.1) | 53 (29.9) |
| Adrenergic antagonists (IV) | 278 (35.7) | 206 (44.3) | 18 (13.2) | 54 (30.5) |
| Oxytocin (IV) | 274 (35.2) | 210 (45.2) | 19 (14) | 45 (25.4) |
| Dialysis solutions | 254 (32.6) | 170 (36.6) | 26 (19.1) | 58 (32.8) |
| Promethazine (IV) | 214 (27.5) | 156 (33.6) | 20 (14.7) | 38 (21.5) |
Note: The shaded cells represent medications on the organization’s high-alert medication list. IV = intravenous.