Background Medication errors are a common occurrence during the conduct of anesthesia (one in 113-450 patients). Several factors contribute to medication errors in anesthesia, including experience of the anesthesia provider, severity of comorbidities, and type of procedure. The inexperience of anesthesia providers-in-training also leads to increased error rates. This prospective observational study repeats and extends previous work by Webster et al. and Llewellyn et al. examining the role of comorbidities, type of case, and level of provider experience on the incidence of medication errors. Methods After Institutional Review Board review and exemption from informed consent, medication error reporting forms were attached to every anesthetic record during a six-month period. All providers were asked to return the forms for every anesthetic, on a strictly voluntary and anonymous basis, and to record the occurrence of medication errors. If providers indicated that a medication error had occurred, additional details about the event were obtained anonymously. Results There were 8,777 (83%) responses obtained in a review of 10,574 case forms. A medication error was reported in 35 forms, with an additional 17 forms indicating a medication pre-error or near miss, resulting in 52 (0.49%) errors/pre-errors or a reported incidence of 1:203 anesthetics. Most case types were observed to have a statistically significant increase in reported medication errors. Reported errors by type of anesthesia provider were categorized into anesthesia provider-in-training group and the experienced provider group. The anesthesia providerin-training group reported a twofold increase in the rate of errors, with the most frequently reported errors being incorrect dose and substitution.

No abstract

This study investigated the potential utility of poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucyl-valinate) (poly-L-SULV), poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-L-leucyl-alanate) (poly-L-SULA), and poly (sodium N-undecanoyl-glycinate) (poly-SUG) molecular micelles (MMs) as chelators for heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, and Ni) ion remediation of kaolinite clay using D-optimum experimental design. D-optimum experimental design was employed to simultaneously investigate the influence of design variables such as the buffer pH, chelator concentration, and centrifuge speed to evaluate the optimum conditions and to reduce the time and cost of metal ion remediation. The partition coefficients of the metal ion concentrations between the kaolinite clay and chelator equilibrium were also evaluated. In addition, the influence of metal ion concentrations on the remediation capability of the chelators was evaluated by conducting remediation studies at four different (10 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, and 80 ppm) metal ion concentrations. In general, the results of the remediation efficiency and partition coefficients obtained in this study are highly metal ion dependent and also dependent upon the chelator used for the remediation. Specifically, the remediation efficiency of the molecular micelles was found to be comparable to or better than the corresponding remediation efficiency obtained when SDS or EDTA was used for the remediation. However, at optimum conditions, poly-SULV and poly-L-SULA molecular micelle chelators demonstrated superior remediation efficiencies for Cr, with remediation efficiency of 99.9 ± 8.7% and 99.1 ± 0.7%, respectively.

No abstract

Surface structures of magnetic nanorings were made using electroless deposition of Ni onto patterned templates of an amine-functionalized organosilane. Samples were prepared by chemical approaches based on colloidal lithography employing a surface mask of size-sorted, monodisperse silica spheres. Surface changes were evaluated after key points of the reactions using imaging modes of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nanopatterns of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) were prepared on Si(111) by applying a heated vapor to a surface mask of silica spheres. After rinsing, the particle mask was removed to reveal ring-shaped nanopatterns presenting amine groups at the interface. Organosilane nanopatterns were then immersed in a solution of Pd catalyst followed by treatment in a Ni plating bath. Changes in surface morphology after each reaction step were characterized ex situ using tapping-mode AFM to follow the time course of nanofabrication. Images of the Ni nanorings acquired with AFM were compared with SEM micrographs to further elucidate the morphology of the metal coatings. The magnetic character of the nanostructures was investigated with magnetic sample modulation (MSM-AFM), which is a hybrid of contact mode AFM combined with magnetic actuation of samples. Surface maps of the vibration of diamagnetic Pd and magnetic Ni nanorings were obtained with MSM-AFM, providing insight on processes of electroless plating. Fine details of the surface corrugation and grain structure of the Ni coated areas of the sample detected with SEM were sensitively resolved with MSM-AFM that were not apparent in AFM topography frames. Chemistry-based steps with electroless deposition (ELD) of metal and colloidal lithography provide a practical route for reproducible nanofabrication of highly regular geometries with high-throughput.