Diabetes insipidus and the use of desmopressin in hospitalised children

Introduction In February 2016, NHS England released a patient safety alert highlighting the associated mortality and morbidity when desmopressin is omitted in individuals with cranial diabetes insipidus (DI).1 Over a 7-year period, the UK National Reporting and Learning System had identified 76 near misses, 56 dosing errors leading to harm and 4 cases where desmopressin omission has resulted in severe dehydration and death.1 Gleeson et al,2 concerned about the care of adult patients with DI when admitted to hospital, recently reported a retrospective audit in which desmopressin was missed or delayed in 88% of admissions in two-thirds of cases because medication was unavailable. Both publications raise awareness of the risks and call for improved education, easier access to desmopressin in the inpatient setting and heightened pharmacovigilance using increasingly popular e-prescribing to flag patients on desmopressin and alert endocrinologists to their admission.
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education and Practice - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Pharmacy update Medicines update Source Type: research