More than 80 percent of parents have likely made at least one dosing error while administering liquid medications to their children, suggests a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.
For the study, researchers conducted a controlled experiment involving nearly 500 parents across three pediatric clinics. Researchers gave the parents a liquid medication — with varying label instructions and dosing tools — and asked them to measure proper doses based on instructions.
An analysis of parent performance revealed 83.5 percent made at least one dosing error. Researchers found parents made fewer errors when given pictographic dosing images and measuring tools that more closely corresponded to recommended doses.
"Provision of dosing tools more closely matched to prescribed dose volumes is an especially promising strategy for reducing pediatric dosing errors," concluded the study's authors.
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