Prescribing Flashcards
Why is paediatric prescribing different to adults?
They have different response to drugs and absorption and distribution is different.
What factors affect drug disposition in children?
- Oral absorption and gastric/intestinal transit time
- Body water percentage
- Plasma protein binding
- Metabolism
- Excretion by kidneys not maximised until 6-8 months
What kinds of factors affect what drugs a child will take orally?
- Flavour
- Formulation
- Appearance
- Ease of administration
What needs to be considered when prescribing for a child in the community?
Can they take the drug during school hours? Will the school be allowed to administer the medicine?
What needs to be written on the prescription for a child?
The age of the child - it is a legal requirement for prescription-only meds for under 12s, but should be done for all.
How can we work out which formulation of drug a child likes?
Ask them, duh.
Why shouldn’t any medicines be added to an infant’s feed?
The drug may interact with milk or other liquids, and if the whole portion isn’t eaten then the dosage may be reduced.
How should childrens doses be worked out?
By the paediatric doses in the BNF
What are the gae groups used in the BNF?
Child: -Preterm before 37 weeks -Neonate birth to 1 month -Infant 1 month - 12 months -Child 1 - 12 years Adolescent 12-18 years
Why is body weight not a foolproof way to calculate a dose for a child?
The child may be overweight and their body not able to cope with a dose based on weight
If a child is overweight, what can we base a dose on?
Their ideal weight based on their age
Are adverse drug reactions the same in adults as children?
No
How are drugs prepared so that children can’t take them accidentally?
Child-resistant packaging
What kind of drug administration should be avoided in children?
IM cos it’s painful
How should a suspected adverse drug reaction in a child be reported?
Through the yellow card scheme
