Protecting Kids From Medical Mistakes

Medical errors are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States, and they can happen to any patient, even children. So Early Show Medical Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay has some advice on how to keep your children safe.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, children in the hospital have about the same rate of medication errors and adverse drug events as adults. And the rate for potential adverse drug events was found to be about three times higher in children and even higher than that in babies in neonatal intensive care units.

But there are some simple practices that can keep children out of harm's way. Here are some:

• Learn about your child's condition. Find out as much as you can about your child's illness by obtaining information from the pediatrician or nurse. You can also search the Internet for more information. But Dr. Senay warns to look only on legitimate Web sites for information. She says there are many sites that have erroneous information that could be more harmful than helpful.
• Discuss medications with the doctor. Any time your child is prescribed a new medication, ask your doctor about the possible side effects and when and how it should be taken. Dr. Senay says it is up to you to tell the physician about all the other drugs your child may be taking, which includes over-the-counter remedies. And be sure to know your child's weight because dosing instructions can change when the child's weight does.
• Make sure you can read the prescription. If you can't read what the doctor has written, there is a good chance the pharmacist can't either. But this is something that can be fixed. Simply ask the doctor to rewrite the prescription if you can't read it.
• Ask about measuring devices. Many children's medicines come in liquid form, and research has shown that many parents don't know how to properly measure them. Dr. Senay says using a kitchen spoon instead of a true teaspoon is one of the problems attributed to taking too much or too little of the prescribed medicine. So when you are picking up your child's prescription, ask the pharmacist for a measuring device (Marked syringes and measuring cups are two of the best devices.)
• Investigate the hospital. If it happens that your child needs surgery and you have a choice of hospitals, pick one that has a lot of experience in treating the condition of your child. You may even want to ask how many similar procedures are performed at the hospital each year. And when your child is in the hospital, make sure he is always wearing an ID bracelet. This can go a long way in preventing medication errors.
• Ask the doctor to explain the treatment plan. When a child is released from the hospital, make sure you know everything about how he is supposed to be treated. That includes knowing about medications and knowing when he can resume normal activities. These steps will decrease the likelihood of your child having to be re-hospitalized.
• Choose an advocate. Choose someone outside the immediate family and share with him all of the information about your child's condition. This way, if you are unable to speak for your child for some reason, the advocate will be able to step in and communicate effectively with medical professionals on your child's behalf.