Sleep Deprivation Leads to Medication Error During Spinal Epidural Anesthesia. By Christian Bohringer, MBBS, and Ryan Osborne, MD | August 30, 2023

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/web-mm/sleep-deprivation-leads-medication-error-during-spinal-epidural-anesthesia In this WebM&M Case a 27-year-old primigravid woman who requested neuraxial anesthesia during induction of labor. The anesthesia care provider, who was sleep deprived near the end of a 48-hour call shift (during which they only slept for 3 hours), performed the procedure successfully but injected an analgesic drug that was not appropriate for this indication. As a result, the patient suffered slower onset of analgesia and significant pruritis, and required more prolonged monitoring, than if she had received the correct medication. The commentary discusses the implications of sleep deprivation, especially in high-risk settings such as anesthesia care and obstetric care, and approaches to improve patient safety during labor and delivery.