The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) 'Weighs in' on Pediatric Medication Safety: 'Weigh Children in Kilograms Only!'

摘要

A resident enters a child's weight of 44 into the information system as kilograms (Kg), when, in fact, the patient was weighed in pounds (lbs). The inaccuracy causes an overdose that results in the patient becoming fosphenytoin toxic.A pharmacist is consulted for Cubicin (DAPTOmy-cin) dosing on a patient. Checking the patient's weight, the pharmacist notices that it has been entered into the computer as kilograms. The person who entered the weight failed to convert pounds to kilograms after weighing the patient on a scale that only measures in pounds. Had the error not been caught, the patient would have been given more than double the dosage.