Roxanne Nelson's article, "Electronic Health Records: Useful Tools or High-Tech Headache?" (AJN Reports, March), made me think about my recent experience with medical records. I am an RN and am having surgery in a few weeks. Since I have undergone some complicated operations, I gathered my medical and surgical records from the past five years. When reviewing these documents, I found numerous errors, and worse, RNs had omitted near-fatal reactions I had experienced to lorazepam (Ativan) and an IV sedation procedure. If my surgeon hadn't told me in the recovery room what had taken place, I wouldn't have known. This is not only unacceptable, it's illegal and unethical. As a nurse I was able to recall these errors and later find indirect evidence of them in my medical records. What about patients who have no idea what occurs and aren't informed about major complications or reactions? Please, nurses, document, document. And then check your notes, whether they're computerized or handwritten. Litigation and prosecution unfortunately are the norm, but when nurses leave out critical information, they're risking not only their licenses, but also patients' lives.

Ann Veronica, PhD, MEd, RN

Philadelphia