Medication Errors and Children: Children Prone to Medical Mistakes
June 12, 2001
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new set of guidelines to prevent pediatric medical errors. The guidelines were issued following the release of a study that found children and infants to be at a higher risk of medical errors than adults.
That study found that children and infants are nearly three times as likely as adults to receive improper medications or dosages. Put differently, 1 out of 17 children in hospitals receive improper medication.
The AAP took a system-wide approach to solving this problem rather than shifting blame among doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. The group is also concerned about the growing trend of administering drugs to children outside of a medical setting, in places such as daycare centers. The guidelines recommend that hospitals use computers to decrease the likelihood of errors in prescriptions for young patients.
The guidelines also note that prescribing medicine for young children is often a difficult task, as the dosage must be calculated based on the child's weight, making the determination subject to mathematical errors.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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