USE OF MEDICATIONS WITH CHILDREN

Use of Medications with Children



Use of Medications with Children

Introduction

From birth to puberty, there is a progressive maturation of different organs of human beings. Thus, children are immature physically, physiologically and emotionally. This immaturity determines the behavior of the drug within the body, and thus, makes children different from adults when giving medicines. Administration of medication to children is not an easy task and it is quite boring. Moreover, the dosage of drugs in young children is usually done by weight so that the need for calculations in each case increases the risk of medication errors.

This document provides tips and techniques to facilitate the task of administering medication to children in a safe, effective and as smooth as possible to parents and caregivers. I think that use of medications in children should be avoided unless they are severely ill and need a medicine to recover. However, if medication is necessary in any situation, it should be given with the complete consent of the doctor and according to his directions.

Avoid using drugs when not justified

Self-medication and non-compliance (i.e. not respect the prescribed times or stop before completing an antibiotic treatment duration determined by the doctor) are widespread practices in general and unfortunately also in the case of children. In addition to combat this practice, people should not take medicine in front of children. Involve the child in their treatment and their disease will help them to be ??aware of why you are taking a certain medication, avoiding taking it on own. Also, they should consult doctor or pharmacist if they are unsure that their child's symptoms require medical treatment, and if they need it, it is essential to know the following:

Know what drug to administer

Name of medication and what it does. In order to prevent medication errors it is important to know what drug to give the child. Usually find this information in the leaflet accompanying the drug. If they cannot find or do not understand some information, they must consult doctor or pharmacist.

The contraindications are situations in which the drug can be harmful. It is therefore important to tell the doctor pharmacist of allergies, chronic illnesses that the child has, as well as medications that the child is taking regularly.

It is important to ensure the correct dose is given the age and weight of the child. If in doubt, they confirm the dose with their doctor or pharmacist before giving.

Route of administration. Most commonly, oral, inhaled (through the nose or mouth), otic (in the ears), ophthalmic (eye), rectally (by rectum), topical (skin) or injected either intramuscularly (into muscle) or intravenously (into a vein). It should be remembered that the dose of the same medicine is usually different for each route of administration.

Special precautions for administration, e.g. take with food or on an empty stomach or other.

Adverse drug effects: Medications are not without adverse effects. When given a drug for the first time, people should be aware of the possible adverse ...