Pediatric Considerations Flashcards
Use of a drug for some purpose for which it has not been approved
Off label
Essential to ensuring safety during and after health care interventions, especially during drug administration
Family-centered care
Provision of therapy using interventions that minimize or eliminate psychological and physical distress experienced by patients, particularly children with their families
Principle of Atraumatic Care
Reasons for limited pediatric research include?
Difficulty in obtaining informed consent. Parents are reluctant to put children at risk.
The Pediatric drug market is small = less profits.
Factors that influence drug absorption in children include:
Child’s age, health status, weight, route of administration, nutritional habits, physical maturity, hormonal difference, hydration, underlying disease, GI disorders, thin skin
Changes in the GI system in children include:
Alkaline gastric pH at birth, decreased intestinal surface area, decreased microbe colonization
Factors that influence drug distribution in children include:
Body fluid composition, body tissue composition, protein-binding capability, and changes in the blood-brain barrier.
Do children have a higher or lower fluid volume?
Higher
Is body fat percentage increased or decreased in children?
Decreased
Do children have increased or decreased plasma proteins and receptor sites?
Decreased
Does the reduction in plasma proteins and receptor sites result in more or less free drug in the blood?
More
How does an increased bilirubin affect free drug levels in the blood?
Bilirubin binds to plasma proteins, leading to increased free drug in the blood.
Do neonates have a more permeable or less permeable blood-brain barrier?
More permeable
Factors that affect drug metabolism in children include:
Maturation level, liver metabolism, and overall metabolic rate
Do infants have increased or reduced blood flow to the liver?
Reduced
