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Parents can dose liquid medication accurately
S R McMahon1, M E Rimsza, R C Bay
1Department of Pediatrics, Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85008, USA.
Objective:
To determine whether parental errors in dosing liquid medication can be decreased through education.
Design:
Randomized convenience sample stratified to three study groups.
Setting:
General pediatric clinic, largely indigent and Latino.
Patients:
A total of 45 English-speaking and 45 Spanish-speaking children diagnosed with otitis media and treated with an antibiotic suspension.
Intervention:
Group 1 patients received the prescription and verbal instructions. Group 2 patients received the prescription and a syringe, then the correct dose was demonstrated. Group 3 patients received the prescription, a syringe with a line marked at the correct dose, and a demonstration. After returning from the pharmacy, parents administered the medication under observation. Parents in group 1 used a dispensing device similar to that planned for home use. The other groups used the syringe. After observation but before discharge, everyone received a syringe with a line marked at the correct dose. Patients were seen again at approximately 1 month, and parents demonstrated how much medication they had administered.
Main Outcome Measure:
Percent of parents who administered the correct dose.
Results:
Patients in group 1 received between 32% and 147% of the correct dose, with only 11 of 30 (37%) receiving the correct dose (+/-0.2 mL). In group 2, 25 of 30 (83%) parents administered the correct dose, and in group 3, 30 of 30 (100%) gave the correct dose. Simultaneous logistic regression indicated that accuracy of dosage differed across instructional groups and language. At follow-up, 23 of 26 parents demonstrated the correct dose.
Conclusion:
Education can decrease medication dosing errors made by both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking parents. Effectiveness was also shown at follow-up.