America is Facing a High Rate of Pediatric Medication Mistakes
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Kids suffering from chronic illness, such as cancer, leukemia, and anemia, need several doses of medicine every day. But, concerns continue to rise over the safety of medications given by doctors and hospitals. After a recent study published during the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting, many parents feel worried that their children do not receive enough treatment or might be overdosed. Sure, medication errors are common, but statistics available lately are quite alarming for many.
Researchers discovered that every 8 minutes, a child experiences an out-of-hospital medication error. During visits and analysis of 83 children, the study claims that 73 had the potential to harm, while 10 actually caused injury. Mistakes in medication can be downright stressful and devastating, especially if doctors and hospitals are held liable. As the situation can be fatal to victims, reputable lawyers help parents by encouraging them to file legal claims against medical professionals who have caused injury to kids.
Ask Questions and Clarify The first step every parent should take is to ask doctors some questions. For instance, “how many times should the child take the medicine?”, “Is it safe to use two medicines at the same time?”, “What if the child forgot to take the medicine at this time?”, etc. Communication is the key to preventing medication errors. Parents should ask doctors to put all instructions in writing. Relying on memory is not advisable.
Make a Detailed List With busy lifestyles, some parents tend to forget important things. As a result, they give too much or too little of a drug. When taking any medication at home, researchers explain that parents must maintain a list. It should contain information about dosage, side effects, and
the
medication.
generic
counterparts
Knowledge,
and
of
being
organized, is the best defense. Reports of medication errors as a whole have climbed in 2014. Mistakes seem harmless, but errors in dosage and prescribing
certain
medication
have
already cost many lives.
RESOURCES: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/in-depth/medication-errors/art20048035 http://cmamedicalmalpracticelaw.com/ http://time.com/3524372/medication-errors-kids-health/