JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Your child wakes up with a fever or a stuffy nose and you run to the medicine cabinet to get something to bring your little one some relief. But a recent study shows it's easy for parents to get the dosage wrong on liquid medication.
The study found one out of five parents who took part in the randomized controlled trial, measured more than twice the directed dose. And, nearly all of them measured inaccurately to some degree.
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Researchers are recommending pediatricians give dosage directions in milliliters -- instead of teaspoons or cap-fulls -- to help parents avoid making mistakes.
“What’s important is to homogenize the way we talk to parents about medication administration. And I think clearly with the recent study that’s come out and subsequent studies to that – just talking to parents in terms of milliliters is the best approach,” explained Dr. Eva Love with Cleveland Clinic Children's, who did not take part in the study.
Researchers found another way to greatly influence the chances of parents getting the dosage right: to use the right tool when administering medicine. The study found the use of dosing cups was associated with more than four times the odds of making an error compared to when a syringe was used.
Experts say it is important for parents to learn how to use a medication syringe correctly. Love says the best way to get the dosing right is to have a doctor show you how to do it.
“Have someone show you in the office, because sometimes even where the plunger line is, is confusing to parents. So if you’re unclear, I always say, ‘let me show you’, we can draw up a little bit of water in the office and I can show you with a syringe,” Love explained.
Liquid medication syringes are available at your pediatrician's office or any pharmacy. A pharmacist can also assist parents on how to use the syringe correctly.
You can see all the results from this medication dosing study in the journal Pediatrics.