Paediatric pharmacology Flashcards
What is a premature baby?
born at less than 37 weeks gestation
What is a full term baby?
born between 37 and 42 weeks
What is neonate?
aged up to 4 weeks old
What is an infant?
1 month to 1 year old
What is a child?
between 1 and 12 years old
What is a young adult?
teenager
How do you prescribe?
- decide to give drug to treat a problem
- ensure right dosage for patient
- PHARMACEUTICS: for adults can give tablet, but for children tablet might be a suspension (powder in water), chewable or melt
- PHARMACOKINETICS- make sure drug gets to right part in body
- PHARMACODYNAMICS
- monitor how drug leaves body
What affects the drug dose and response?
- growth and development of organs in the child
- absorption of the drug in the body
- distribution of the drug in the body
- metabolism of the drug in the body
- excretion of the drug from the body
How can a drug be absorbed?
- oral
- IM
- percutaneous (through skin)
- rectal
- IV
How can distribution vary?
- depend on protein binding?
- volume
- fat distribution
Where are oral medications absorbed?
GI
What affects GI absorption in a baby?
- have reduced gastric acid secretion
(reach normal when 3yo) - gastric empty rate is slow= drug stay in tract for longer= longer effects = so need to give smaller doses
- intestine development
- GI tract disorders affect absorption
What is gastroschisis?
- in neonates sometimes
- born with gut on outside of body
- need to think of alternate route to give drugs
IM drugs are absorbed where?
Muscle
- mainly IM is given when IV isnt possible
How are drugs absorbed by the muscle?
- no pattern
- absorb depends on:
MUSCLE PERFUSION
MUSCLE CONTRACTION
MASS
NON VASCULAR TISSUE
Are IM drug administration encouraged in neonates?
- no
- painful
If drugs are applied topically, how are they absorbed?
- through the skin
How is the drug absorbed through the skin in babies?
- babies have thinner stratum corneum than adults
- this is worsened if neonatal skin is burns/damaged (scratching)
-babies also have increased skin hydration and surface area
- faster drug absorbing
- absorb higher quantities