A PC database to facilitate treatment of pediatric hematology/oncology patients

In an effort to simplify chemotherapy dose calculations and reduce the incidence of medication errors, a commercially available, general database management program was used to aid in the management of an active pediatric hematology/oncology service. The software was customized to include all medications used by the specialty practice, as well as some used in a general pediatric setting. After entering a patient's height and weight, the database rapidly computes and immediately displays the patient's surface area, appropriate intravenous fluid rates, and doses of antibiotic, chemotherapeutic, and other drugs. No prior computer expertise is required to run the program, which can be used easily by physicians and nurses. A database program similar to this can be implemented and customized easily for any hematology/oncology practice, and can facilitate patient care by reducing both the time and effort needed to order medications as well as the number of medication errors.