Related Experiment Videos

How much acetaminophen do paediatricians prescribe? A survey among Israeli paediatricians

R Greenberg1, Z Grossman, L Goldstein

  • 1Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.

Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
|September 17, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Many Israeli pediatricians deviate from recommended acetaminophen dosages and fail to provide adequate dosing instructions to parents, impacting safe medication use.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Acetaminophen is a common antipyretic and analgesic in pediatric care.
  • Accurate dosing is crucial for efficacy and safety in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess current pediatric practices in Israel concerning acetaminophen dosing.
  • To evaluate the extent of prescription and patient instruction for acetaminophen use.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 pediatricians in Israel.
  • Participants were questioned on recommended acetaminophen doses and their prescription/instruction habits.

Main Results:

  • The survey achieved a 36% response rate.
  • 42% of responding pediatricians reported using acetaminophen doses different from the Israeli formulary recommendations.
  • 42% of pediatricians routinely or always prescribed antipyretics.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of Israeli pediatricians do not adhere to established acetaminophen dosing guidelines.
  • Inadequate parental instruction on acetaminophen use is prevalent among Israeli pediatricians.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview01:21

Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview

When it comes to infants and young children, they are typically administered smaller doses of medication in comparison to adults. This is primarily because their organ functions still need to fully develop, meaning their bodies are not as efficient at metabolizing or eliminating drugs. Additionally, their blood-brain barrier is more permeable than in adults. As a result, high concentrations of drugs can easily penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), potentially leading to neurological...
Dosage Regimens: Partial Pharmacokinetic Parameters01:01

Dosage Regimens: Partial Pharmacokinetic Parameters

It is not uncommon for complete drug pharmacokinetic profiles to remain elusive in pharmacokinetics. This necessitates certain educated assumptions by pharmacokineticists to determine appropriate dosage regimens without comprehensive pharmacokinetic data from animal or human studies. One prevalent assumption is setting the bioavailability factor, denoted as F, to 1 or 100%. This assumption caters to the scenario where a drug doesn't achieve full systemic absorption, resulting in the patient...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight, compared...
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...