The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG
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J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther · Jul 2014
Medication preparation in pediatric emergencies: comparison of a web-based, standard-dose, bar code-enabled system and a traditional approach.
Increased acuity within the pediatric emergency department increases the risk of medication-related adverse events, despite the availability of validated dosing references. The eBroselow system is a standardized, web-based, bar code-enabled dosing system that eliminates the need for mathematic calculations. This study was designed to assess the accuracy of the eBroselow system and the time needed to prepare medications during pediatric simulated resuscitations compared with standard dosing references. ⋯ Use of the eBroselow system, a standardized, bar code-based, electronic medication dosing reference, increased the accuracy of medication doses prepared during pediatric code simulations by nearly 25%, with no errors being considered clinically significant.
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J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther · Jul 2014
Development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed, neonatal and pediatric, opioid-weaning protocol.
To compare the length of wean and abstinence severity in neonatal and pediatric patients with neonatal abstinence syndrome or iatrogenic opioid dependence treated with a pharmacist-managed, methadone-based protocol compared with physician-managed patients treated with either methadone or dilute tincture of opium (DTO). ⋯ Use of a pharmacist-managed, methadone-based weaning protocol standardizes patient care and has the potential to decrease abstinence severity and shorten duration of wean versus physician-managed patients exposed to opioids in utero. Additionally, a methadone wean of 10% to 20% per day was well tolerated in both neonatal and pediatric patients.
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J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther · Apr 2014
Use of intravenous magnesium sulfate for the treatment of an acute asthma exacerbation in pediatric patients.
The standard of care for treatment of an asthma exacerbation includes oxygen, inhaled short-acting bronchodilators, and systemic corticosteroids; adjunctive therapies, such as intravenous magnesium sulfate, can be used for patients who are having life-threatening exacerbations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prescribing patterns as well as the safety of intravenous magnesium sulfate for the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients across multiple hospitals in New Jersey. ⋯ This study demonstrates that weight-based dosage, as well as time of administration of magnesium sulfate for pediatric patients with an acute asthma exacerbation, varies across different institutions in New Jersey. Magnesium sulfate use was safe in this patient population.
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J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther · Jan 2014
Ethacrynic Acid continuous infusions in critically ill pediatric patients.
The purpose of this study was to describe dosage regimens and treatment outcomes in critically ill children receiving ethacrynic acid continuous infusions (CI). ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence for ethacrynic acid CI in children. The median initial dose and maximum dose in this cohort were 0.13 mg/kg/hr and 0.17 mg/kg/hr, respectively. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.