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Medication Overdose in Children

Giving your infant medication can be a challenge for any parent, but it is extremely important that care be taken when providing the appropriate dosage. A recent study found that a large percentage of calls to poison control centers are due to incorrect dosages given to children under the age of 6 months.

Tips for Proper Dosing

Double check the dosage. Most pediatric medications are in a liquid form, and yet there is no standard measuring device dispensed with liquid medication. Approximately 73% of liquid medications are measured with a household teaspoon, yet this does not give an accurate measurement. Most pediatricians, therefore, recommend using an oral dosing syringe. Parents still must be cautious, however, as many medications, especially for infants, are dispensed in tenths of a milliliter (mL), while the syringe will likely hold between 1 to 10 mL of liquid. Poison control centers report that most dosing errors on the part of the caregiver are 10-fold errors; for example, when a parent accidentally administers 5 mL rather than 0.5 mL of medication. Receiving 10 times the amount of medicine prescribed can be extremely harmful. Make sure your health care provider or pharmacist provides explicit instructions regarding dosages, and if necessary, ask your pharmacist to mark the syringe at the appropriate level.

Multiple caregivers. The second most common error occurs when more than one person is responsible for the child's care. To assure that the child is not being repeatedly medicated by multiple caregivers, it might be useful to hang a chart in the child's bedroom, which can be marked with the date and time of each medication administration.

Improper timing. Medication poisonings can also occur when the drug is administered too frequently. Using the medication chart will also help assure that the drug is given at the appropriate times, and that the child is not receiving too much (or too little) medication.

Incorrect route of administration

Another common problem is confusion regarding the route of administration. While most pediatric medications are given orally, some are administered in the ears (otic), the eyes (ocular), or in the anus (rectal). Therefore, it is important that you question your physician or pharmacist about the route of administration, as well as the dosage and the intervals between dosing.

"The Descriptive Epidemiology of Infant Ingestion Calls to a Regional
Poison Control Center."
By Dr. Teresa Coco and colleagues.
Southern Medical Journal. August 2005.

Swimmer Alert!

Shigellosis is a bacterial infection which can cause bloody diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Although Shigellosis is not as common in the US as it is in other parts of the world, the bacteria can be transmitted by ingesting lake water, which places more children at risk during the summer months. Shigellosis outbreaks in lake water are usually attributed to fecal contamination and as such, are difficult to monitor. This infection can be prevented, however, with good hygiene and common sense. Children who swim in lake water should be instructed not to swallow the water, and young children should be taken to the restroom frequently to prevent defecation into the lake. As this infection can be treated with antibiotics, it is recommended that people who develop diarrhea within 1 to 2 days of lake water exposure be seen by their physician as soon as possible.

"Shigellosis among Swimmers in a Freshwater Lake."
By Dr. Martha Iwamoto and colleagues.
Southern Medical Journal. August 2005.

Jennifer McKinney, MA