Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0

Follow these guidelines for using medicines safely.

• Most medicines can cause poisoning. Keep them out of reach of children. Do not remove child-proof caps.
• Give your child the correct amount (dose). Read directions on the label carefully. Measure the dose exactly. Remember that a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon should hold 5 ml (or 5 cc). Tableware teaspoons hold varying amounts and should not be used.
• Give the medicine at the correct time intervals. If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember it, and give the next one at the correct interval following the late dose. Generally, "4 times a day" does not mean you have to awaken your child, unless he or she sleeps for more than 8 hours.
• If you think your child is having a reaction to the medicine, call your physician before discontinuing it. Drug allergies tend to be overdiagnosed. Many drug symptoms such as nausea or jitteriness disappear when the dosage is reduced.
• Continue antibiotics until the bottle is empty. Your physician will prescribe the correct amount of antibiotic to kill all the bacteria. Stopping the antibiotic early can result in a flare-up.
• Give symptomatic medicines only when your child has a lot of symptoms (for example, hacking cough) or is uncomfortable (for example, fever over 102 or 103 degrees F, or 38.9 or 39.5 degrees C). These medicines do not need to be given continuously. If you decide to use them continuously, however, discontinue them after the symptoms have cleared for more than 12 hours.
• Don't give a prescription medicine to anyone except the person for whom it was prescribed. Don't give it to brothers or sisters, for instance. Some adult medicines are never prescribed for children because of their special side effects on the growing body, such as staining the teeth.
• Don't use outdated medicines. They lose their strength over time and some may be harmful. Most liquid antibiotics are worthless after 4 weeks, so discard them. Most other medicines are potent for 1 to 4 years. Although pills usually last longer than liquid medicines, check the label for an expiration date.