Tailored ICU alerts lead to decrease in high-risk DDIs

A 12% decrease in high-risk drug-drug interaction administrations occurred when a clinical decision support system only provided alerts in the intensive care unit for potential DDIs considered high risk, a study found. Published this week in the Agency for Research and Quality’s Journal of Patient Safety and in January 2024 in The Lancet, the study sought to decrease alarm fatigue and subsequent compromised patient safety by reducing the number of low-yield alerts. The randomized trial took place in nine ICUs and included adult patients admitted to the ICU with at least two drugs administered. The authors say other ICUs can use their list of high-risk drug combinations and other clinical settings could adapt their strategy of tailoring alerts based on clinical relevance. (AHRQ Journal of Patient Safety article, 2/14/24)