Response from BNF for Children

doi:10.1136/bmj.b2926

Published 21 July 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2926
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b2926

Letters

Dosage errors in paediatrics

Response from BNF for Children

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The high rate of medication errors reported in children is concerning,¹although the majority result in "no harm" or "low harm."²

Doses in the BNF for Children (BNFC) are standardised accordingto weight, body surface area, or age, and reflect the availableevidence and clinical experience of their safety and efficacy.Although guidance was issued recently on selecting doses safelyfrom BNFC,³ this is only one part of the process in ensuringchildren receive the right doses.

The most common error entails administration of an incorrectdose or strength of drug.² Errors can occur when multiplyinga dose by the child’s body weight, converting from onemetric unit to another, selecting a diluent, and calculatinginfusion rates or the volume of preparation to administer. Akey contributing factor is the need to use tiny quantities ofdrugs from preparations intended for adults.

Healthcare professionals must be proficient . . . [Full text of this article]

George Rylance, chairman, Paediatric Formulary Committee¹, Shama Wagle, assistant editor¹

¹ BNF for Children, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London SE1 7JN

bnfc@bnf.org