Published 21 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2925
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2925

Letters

Dosage errors in paediatrics

Juniors need more training

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

Having worked only with adult patients, I find prescribing for children daunting.¹ Having to rely constantly on calculators to ensure correct dosages is rightly time consuming, but also unnerving as I am constantly wondering whether I have made an error. In addition, paediatric prescribing is not covered in undergraduate training, and prescribing by weight is hardly mentioned in lectures.

The BNF for Children is confusing in giving both age and weight related doses. Which should be used? Hospitals use weight or age related prescribing policies, or both. Confusion reigns and may account for the high number of errors in childhood prescribing.¹ More online paediatric resources for junior doctors and a greater emphasis on paediatric prescribing for students may help reverse these trends.

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2925

¹ Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 9TG

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Competing interests: None declared.

1. O’Dowd A. Safety watchdog warns of high dosage errors among children and young people. BMJ 2009;338:b2500. (18 June.)[Free Full Text]

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Safety watchdog warns of high dosage errors among children and young people

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