ISMP High-Alert Medications 2

Question 1

ISMP recommends that concentrated heparin vials be removed from patient care units because:

Accepted Answer

Accidental use of concentrated instead of dilute heparin can cause fatal hemorrhage

Answer

Using concentrated heparin (e.g., 10,000 units/mL) instead of flush solution has caused fatal overdoses, so ISMP recommends restricting access.

Question 2

Which of the following anticoagulants is on the ISMP high-alert medication list for community/ambulatory settings?

Accepted Answer

Warfarin

Answer

Warfarin is on the ISMP high-alert list for community settings because its narrow therapeutic index and frequent interactions cause significant bleeding risk.

Question 3

ISMP recommends "tall man lettering" as a strategy specifically to address which type of high-alert medication error?

Accepted Answer

Look-alike/sound-alike drug name confusion

Answer

Tall man lettering differentiates similar drug names by capitalizing distinguishing letters, reducing look-alike/sound-alike confusion for high-alert drugs.

Question 4

Which practice does ISMP endorse for dispensing high-alert oral liquid medications in pediatrics?

Accepted Answer

Use oral syringes that cannot connect to IV lines

Answer

ISMP recommends oral syringes that cannot attach to IV tubing to prevent accidental IV administration of oral liquids in pediatric patients.

Question 5

What does ISMP mean by a "standard concentration" protocol for high-alert IV medications?

Accepted Answer

Limiting medications to one or few fixed concentrations across the facility

Answer

Standard concentration protocols reduce calculation errors by ensuring all staff work with the same predetermined concentrations for high-alert IV infusions.

ISMP - Institute for Safe Medication Practices Practice Test

ISMP - Institute for Safe Medication Practices Practice Test

ISMP High-Alert Medications 2