Length-Based is BestIt's unanimous: the leading authorities on pediatric care all recommend using length-based systems to determine emergency pediatric dosing and intubation requirements.
American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Emergency Physicians "Length-based systems or pre-calculated drug systems should be used to avoid calculation errors of medications delivered." American Heart Association 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC Endotracheal Tube Size: "Length-based resuscitation tapes are helpful and more accurate than age-based formula estimates of endotracheal tube size for children up to approximately 35kg, even for children with short stature." Emergency Fluids and Medication: "Tapes with pre-calculated doses printed at various patient lengths have been clinically validated and are more accurate than age-based or observer (parent or provider) estimate-based methods in the prediction of body weight." Journal of Patient Safety Color coded medication safety system reduces community pediatric emergency nursing errors,June 2009 "The CCMS system reduces pediatric medication delay and improves nursing accuracy." Pediatric Clinics of North America Medicating Errors in Children, December 2006 "Adopting the 'systems approach' to medication errors is crucial to every health system where practitioners seek to enhance patient safety." |