While there is no way to guarantee that your child will not experience a medication mistake in his lifetime, there are a few ways you can reduce the risk of a prescription drug overdose. By knowing how children suffer these mistakes at home, you can safeguard them from errors while they are in your care.
Here are three common ways children suffer drug overdoses in KY:
- Home measurements. If your child has been prescribed a liquid medication, you should never administer it using kitchen utensils—including spoons. Flatware can vary in size and volume, so always use a standard measuring device, such as a graded measuring cup, for accurate dosing.
- Weight vs. age. Doctors must calculate drug dosages very carefully for children. In most cases, doctors will alter or reduce an adult medication for administration to a child; however, some doctors will use age instead of weight to calculate the dosage, leading to possible overdose.
- Wrong route. In some cases, patients will receive the wrong form of the drug from a pharmacy, such as a liquid medication when they should have received tablets. Parents may assume this alternate form of the drug is just as potent as a tablet, when in fact it can have a drastically different dosage—especially if it is meant to be given intravenously instead of orally.
Unfortunately, these tips will only help keep children safe while their parents are taking care of them. Many children suffer prescription drug errors in Louisville while under hospital care—and doctors and nurses are just as prone to making mistakes.
If your child was injured by a prescription drug overdose, the attorneys at Gray and White can help. Call us today at (800) 634-8767 to get started on your case with your FREE legal consultation.