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What should labels note?
The American Society of Anesthesiologists says all medication labels on vials and ampoules must contain the drug's generic and commercial names, concentration, total volume or contents, manufacturer, lot number, date of manufacturing and expiration date. Bar codes containing this information must not interfere with the label's legibility. A label's font must be easy to read and extra spaces should separate the drug name from the other information.
Providers must note the drug, strength, date, time drawn and their initials on syringes or containers that reach the sterile field. "Tall-man lettering" can be used to highlight the initial or distinctive syllables in similar looking drug names. Providers should be able to clearly write information on the label's material, using a ballpoint pen or felt-tip marker without it smudging or running.
To make labeling easy and accurate — and to ensure the labels are easily read — consider using pre-printed labels on syringes in non-sterile fields. These labels match the ASA's color-coded drug classifications: induction agents are yellow, benzodiazepines are orange, muscle relaxants are fluorescent red, narcotics are blue, vasopressors and hypotensive agents are violet, and local anesthetics are gray.
Peel-off labels on vials can be applied to single-use syringes when the vials' contents are drawn. Ensure medication names are still visible on the vials after the peel-off labels are removed.
Read carefully
Bar-code technology can improve the accuracy of drug administration and help the reporting and tracking of wrong-dose errors. These high-tech solutions are not widely used in operating rooms in 2013, however, so providers and surgical teams must rely on more conventional solutions when administering meds: attention to detail and extreme focus.
Carefully review the labels on ampoules or syringes before drawing or
