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BPJ 29 July 2010

Best Practice Journal

Avoiding medication errors in children

Medication errors may never be completely eliminated, but strategies can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of error occurring. These strategies include reducing dose calculation errors, being extra vigilant with medicines that are commonly associated with error, improving access to specialised prescribing information, improving communication with parents and using error reporting systems. View Article

Cough in children

Children who cough are frequently seen in general practice. The challenge is to determine what is “normal” cough from that which is abnormal. The majority of children with acute cough have a viral upper respiratory tract infection. View Article

Do cough and cold medicines work in children?

The short answer is no. There is little evidence that cough and cold preparations have any clinically significant effect on reducing the symptoms or duration of the common cold in children. Most of these preparations contain medicines that are not recommended for use in children aged under six years. View Article

Immunisation in children by age two years

An important focus of the PHO Performance Programme is to ensure that all children in New Zealand are receiving their necessary immunisations, by the recommended age milestones. A small proportion of children are not currently being immunised and it is important to identify the reasons for this and to find solutions to address this disparity. View Article

Identifying the risk of serious illness in children with fever

A “traffic light” approach to assessing the risk of a serious illness in a child with fever. View Article

Upfront: Medical mistakes

Health professionals are human too: Making mistakes in general practice View Article

Snippets: Dextropropoxyphene & Donepezil

Donepezil to be funded on pharmaceutical schedule | Dextropropoxyphene - finding alternatives View Article

Correspondence: Vitamin D, oral health, & pregnancy

View Article

Quiz Feedback: Medication errors/Cough and cold in children

BPJ 29 Quiz feedback View Article