Archive for August, 2010
Research shows care needed when dosing children
How many times has your mother come at you with a teaspoon of medicine? I remember many times and never hesitated to take whatever she told me to, usually Tylenol or baby aspirin. But it was just the way things were done. Mother never used anything fancy, just a spoon from the kitchen drawer. If it said teaspoon, then teaspoon it was. No big deal.
Well research shows that a spoon is not is a spoon is not a spoon. Believe it or not these same researchers took a look at 71 kitchen teaspoons and 49 tablespoons and found that the actually measuring capacity was very different. Enough so that measurements of medication would not be delivering the amount prescribed, but could be under or over the recommended dose.
This is actually very frightening coming from a medical and nursing point of view. Children can very easily be overdosed, or even under dosed which can have serious ramifications as well. When dosing your child be sure to use the actual calibrated syringes that can be obtained from any pharmacy. And the syringes are much better than even the special medicine spoons. More accurate and easier for the child to take.
It is not like parents have ever wanted to do any harm to their children. No! Of course not! But it is a matter of convenience. The spoon in the drawer is what is handy for the medicine to be given. That is why when you are at the pharmacy picking up the prescription, just remember to get one of the calibrated syringes and you will be all set.
And remember it takes practice to get good with measuring the doses and getting the child to take it. So be patient and you and your child will benefit.
To read this study and article in its entirety please visit me at Factoidz.
