Part 3 Scenario

PART 1 – SCENARIO 4

Assignment

Name

College

Part 1 - Scenario

Prescription drugs are used in treating diseases and illnesses when the right amount of dose is given at the right time to the right person. The wrong dose of medication can be administered to patients very easily due to lack of organizations and inadequate procedures at pharmacies and misinterpretation of doctor's prescriptions.

The doctor prescribed 100g of medication be given to a pediatric patient daily. The nurse's notes show that 10g of this drug was administered each morning for the past three days. The nurse misinterpreted the doctor’s prescription by administering the 100g of medication all at once. Taking too much of a dose all at once may result in allergic reactions, organ infection and even death caused by brain damage and paralysis.

A patient’s tolerance to drugs varies with age and state of health, and the body adjusts and heals without any treatment, but death is a risk in some cases. Signs and symptoms of an overdose of the medication may include dizziness, diarrhea, seizures and visual disturbances. Long term effects may affect the liver of the patient and brain hemorrhages.

Pediatric drugs are administered according to body weight, or surface and dosage must be calculated correctly before administering to the patients. The patient should not be made to vomit, and breathing and condition should be monitored continuously. The 100mg of could be administered thrice a day in quantities of 30mg. The medication can as well be diluted, for example, in a concentration of 40ml administered to a five-year-old child weighing 18 kgs may be calculated to 45ml a day.

The medication should be administered in small quantities at different times. The dosage should be administered in doses of 33g thrice a day to avoid overdosing the patient. This is because prescribed drugs should be calculated according to age and body weight when it comes to children.

References

McInerny, T., Adam, H., Campbell, D., DeWitt, T., Foy, J., & Kamat, D. (2017). American Academy of Pediatrics textbook of pediatric care (1st ed.). Place of publication not identified: American Academy of Pediatrics.