Question

Lesson 5 Discussion Question -- Pediatric Patients by Course Creator Do Not Contact - Thursday, January 30, 2020, 11:12 AM Describe considerations in dealing with pediatric patients and medication administration. In what ways are pediatric patients' bodies different medications? How can you ensure safe medication administration for pediatric patients? What should you do if your dosage calculation is not the medication's package insert? structions the Discussion Forums, students interact with the instructor and colleagues to explore questions and comments related to course concepts the course learning objectives, the successful student is active and visible beginning on Wednesday each week. Discussion threads close o astern Time for the current week. Graded discussion point values vary by course, so the rubric is applied based on each course's assigned oints

Answer 1

#. Considerations in dealing with pediatric patients and medication administration are :-

- use a calm ,firm approach

- be honest and sympathetic

- explain the need to take the medication

- praise a child for taking the medicine

- incorporate taking medicine into a routine

- following 6rights of medication administration

6 rights :-

-Right patient

-Right drug

-Right dose

-Right route

-Right Documentation

-Right time

- Don't give the child an option to take it

- Don't lie

-Not only talk to caregiver and include child also

#. Development considerations 0-3 months

-have caregiver hold hands

-have pt take medication through dropper or bottle

#. Developmental Considerations 3-12months

-administer medication with a syringe

-allow caregiver to hold and comfort pt

#. Developmental Considerations 1-2.5years

-Allow pt to choose postion to take meds

-can take from spoon or cup

-hide medication in corn syrup

-"open your mouth" "drink this now"

-chewable tablets are okay

#. Developmental Considerations 2.5-6years

-Ask pt their name

-approach in a calm manner

-give choices when possible

-give reward

-DO NOT GIVE CHEWABLE TABLET

-may be able to swallow pills

#. Developmental Considerations 6-12years

-reinforce that medication should only be given by caregiver or nurse

-allow choices

-It may hurt for a second, but you will not HARM them

-include child in medication schedule

-provide private area to give any medication

-Allow child to share experience

#. Developmental Considerations 12+ years

-write out contract with pt stating they will follow medication guidelines

-explain the medication and why it is given

-differentiate medications from drugs

-be honest

#. Ensuring safe medication administration by the following :-

- preforming six rights of medication administration

- Consulting with a second nurse.

- Review the patient's medication order.

- Verify the child's weight prior to administration.

- Ask the patient's name and check the patient's identification.

#. How children's body is different from adults :-

- Children have a proportionately larger body surface area (BSA) than adults do. The smaller the patient, the greater the ratio of surface area (skin) to size. BSA also parallels certain body functions, including basal metabolic rate (BMR) and minute volume.

As a result, children may be more susceptible to agents that affect the integrity of the skin or are absorbed through the skin.

- Children have thinner skin than adults. Their epidermis is thinner and under-keratinized, compared with adults.

As a result, children are at risk for increased absorption of agents that can be absorbed through the skin.

- Children have higher respiratory rates than adults. Higher respirator rates lead to proportionately higher minute volumes.

As a result, children may be more susceptible to agents absorbed through the pulmonary route than adults with the same exposure. Children may also respond more rapidly to such agents. Signs and symptoms in children may be an “early warning” of a chemical, biological, or radiological incident.

- Since children are generally shorter than adults, their breathing zone is lower to the ground. At the same time, many agents that are aerosolized are heavier than air.

As a result, children may be more susceptible to agents absorbed through the pulmonary route than adults with the same exposure. Children may also respond more rapidly to such agents. Signs and symptoms in children may be an “early warning” of a chemical, biological, or radiological incident.

- Children have immature blood-brain barriers and enhanced central nervous system (CNS) receptivity.

As a result, children may exhibit a prevalence of neurological symptoms. Nerve agents may produce more symptoms in pediatric patients, requiring levels of treatment for children that are not indicated for adults with the same level of exposure.

- Children are more prone to dehydration than adults. At the same time, exposure to many chemical agents and some biological agents leads to vomiting and diarrhea.

As a result, children may be more symptomatic and show symptoms earlier than adults.

- Children have a higher proportion of rapidly growing tissues than adults, and some agents, including ionizing radiation and mustard gas, significantly affect rapidly growing tissues.

As a result, children are more prone to ionizing radiation and other agents that affect rapidly growing tissue than adults are. Children may be more symptomatic and show symptoms earlier than adults. Exposure can have a significant impact on children’s bone marrow and developing CNS, especially in children under two years of age.

- Children have relatively small airways compared with adults. The smaller the caliber of the airway, the greater the reduction in airflow as a result of increased pulmonary secretions that occur following exposure to chemicals or edema from inhalation of hot gases, for example.

As a result, children suffer more pulmonary pathology than adults at the same level of exposure.

- While IV medications may be the recommended prescription, vascular access in children can be difficult. The smaller the child, the more difficult vascular access becomes. Managing the many size-related issues that arise in acute emergencies presents problems; the variation in children’s sizes further complicates the issue.

#. If the dosage calculation is not correct then discard the preparation and again prepare the medicine by following correct calculation methods and get it verified by senior staff .