When a spoonful becomes lethal: Hidden risks with child medication - The Times of India
Key Problem: Dosage Errors in Child Medication
The article highlights the increasing number of incidents involving incorrect medication dosages for children, leading to severe consequences. One case detailed a child who died after receiving a highly concentrated dose of adult ORS due to a prescription error and pharmacist oversight.
Causes and Contributing Factors
Several factors contribute to these errors, including:
- Prescription errors: Doctors sometimes fail to specify the correct type of medication (e.g., pediatric ORS).
- Pharmacist oversight: Pharmacists may dispense the wrong medication or dosage without clarifying details on the prescription.
- Parental misunderstanding: Parents may misinterpret the dosage instructions.
Solutions and Recommendations
The article emphasizes the importance of collective vigilance to minimize medication errors. This includes improved communication and careful attention to detail by doctors, pharmacists, and parents. Following basic guidelines on dosage instructions is crucial.
When a spoonful becomes lethal: Hidden risks with child medication
From adult ORS to too much paracetamol, cases of medicine mess-ups in kids are growing. But following some basic guidelines can minimise dose errors, along with collective vigilance from healthcare providers, pharmacists and parents
A child suffering from acute gastroenteritis was prescribed an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) by a doctor. While the prescription detailed the child’s age, weight, diagnosis, and instructions on dissolving the sachet in 200ml of water, the doctor inadvertently missed specifying a ‘paediatric’ ORS sachet. The pharmacist, unaware of this crucial detail, dispensed an adult ORS sachet, which is meant to be dissolved in one litre of water. Following the instructions on the prescription, the parents gave their child a highly concentrated dose of ORS. The child subsequently developed seizures and kidney failure and succumbed to these complications.
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