Household teaspoon and oral liquid medication: the present scenario

ABSTRACT

To determine the parental dosing errors in administering oral liquid medication to pediatric population. Cross sectional study. Department of Pediatric Surgery Civil Hospital and Pediatric Medicine Lyari General Hospital Karachi, from February 2009 to September 2009. Parents of children admitted were enrolled in the study. They were asked to measure one teaspoonful [5 ml] of paracetamol syrup from the tray containing household spoons of different sizes. The amount filled by the parents was measured by 5 ml syringe. Accurate dose was defined as 5.0 ml while an acceptable dose was 5.0 +/- 0.5 ml [4.5 ml - 5.5 ml] according to National Formulary and USP Standards of a + or - of 10% of error dosage range for oral devices. A total of 530 parents participated in the study. The age of the participants ranged from 16 year to 55 year [mean= 28.93 +/- 6.6 year]. Only 118 [22.3%] participants measured accurate dose while 164 [30.9%] measured the acceptable dose and 366 [69.1%] participants measured inaccurate dose. Accuracy in measuring household teaspoon quantity was not associated wirh parents' age [p >.05], education [p >.05], cooking experience [p >.05] and previous drug administering experience [p>.05]. Household teaspoons were unreliable when measuring and administering liquid medication to pediatric population. Oral syringe is recommended as the best device for both measuring and delivering liquid medication