Avoiding medication errors in children:
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A practical guide for healthcare professionals
Medication errors may never be completely eliminated, but strategies can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of error occurring. These strategies include reducing dose calculation errors, being extra vigilant with medicines that are commonly associated with error, improving access to specialised prescribing information, improving communication with parents and using error reporting systems.
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| Cough in children |
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Children who cough are frequently seen in general practice. The challenge is to determine what is “normal” cough from that which is abnormal. The majority of children with acute cough have a viral upper respiratory tract infection. There are many underlying causes of chronic cough and management is guided by the specific diagnosis. In children without a diagnosis of a serious underlying disease process, the recommended approach is to watch, wait and review.
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Do cough and cold medicines work in children?
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The short answer is no. There is little evidence that cough and cold preparations have any clinically significant effect on reducing the symptoms or duration of the common cold in children. Most of these preparations contain medicines that are not recommended for use in children aged under six years. Recommended care of a child with the common cold includes simple analgesia, saline spray for nasal congestion in younger children and symptomatic care including maintaining a “healthy home environment”.
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Immunisation in children by age two years
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An important focus of the PHO Performance Programme is to ensure that all children in New Zealand are receiving their necessary immunisations, by the recommended age milestones. A small proportion of children are not currently being immunised and it is important to identify the reasons for this and to find solutions to address this disparity. Barriers include healthcare system factors e.g. access to appropriate services, healthcare provider factors e.g. inadequate communication and perhaps most importantly, parent/carer factors e.g. fears and misconceptions.
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| Essentials |
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