Most paediatric doses are calculated per kilogram, and an estimated weight is a common source of error. Weigh every child who is getting a weight-based medicine, write the weight on the prescription, and check the calculated dose against the usual range for that drug.
In a malnourished or oedematous child, use the weight as directed by your local protocol, because oedema can overstate it.
- Weigh the child and write the weight on the prescription
- Check the calculated dose against the usual range for the drug
- Recheck the weight at each review in a growing or recovering child
- Use your protocol's approach in oedematous or malnourished children
Why it matters
Dosing errors in children often start with a guessed weight.
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