BackgroundPaediatric drugs are rare and are often presented with prescription limits. This means the paediatrician is responsible for prescribing medication to children which are reserved only for adults. Also, certain dosages, forms and routes of administration of these drugs are usually unsuitable for administration to children, sometimes even contraindicated.PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse agreement between medicines (all galenic forms included) listed in the therapeutic booklet of our paediatric hospital and their prescription in children.Material and methodsWe analysed the medicines listed in the therapeutic booklet of a paediatric hospital. The status of each medicine was searched by referring to the summaries of product characteristics. Five categories were defined: medicines indicated in children regardless of age; those with age limits; those not recommended in children in the absence of data; those reserved for adults; and those contraindicated in children. The share of each category in terms of drug substance and trademarks and their consumption were defined.Results165 medicines are listed in the therapeutic booklet of our paediatric hospital, representing 120 active ingredients. Of the 165 medicines, 81.2% are injectable and 6% are oral forms. 7 medicines are solid forms and are not suitable for children <6–7 years old. 20% of trademarks belong to the class specialties ‘N’ of the ATC codification (WHO) and 16.4% medicines to class ‘J’. 51% of medicines were administered to children regardless of age, 31% were indicated with age limits, 3% were contraindicated and 3% were reserved for adults. 12% were not recommended in the absence of data. 113 100 units of antibiotics were consumed in 2015, of which 800 were contraindicated. 334 924 anaesthetic medicines were consumed, of which 2000 were not recommended in children.ConclusionThe percentage of molecules that do not have a paediatric license in our study was 18%. Other studies have shown a higher percentage (Combeau et al, Turner et al and Antier et al—56.3% 25% and 42%, respectively). This inconsistency should alert the prescriber and the pharmacist to limit the inherent risk.References and/or acknowledgementsAcknowledgements to the paediatric hospital team.No conflict of interest
Introduction: During the reconstitution of a drug and during its storage, there are risks of interactions between the drug and the bag used for the preparation. Polyvinyl chloride is a material used in the manufacture of a large part of chemotherapy infusion bags. It is subject to many interactions like sorption of drugs and release of phthalate additives. Material and Methods: Seven anticancer drugs used in pediatric oncology were involved in our study. After reconstitution of the anticancer agents in polyvinyl chloride bags, the adsorption phenomenon between the container and the contents is evaluated by infrared spectroscopy by analyzing the inner surface of the polyvinyl chloride. Subsequently, for the anticancer agents which exhibited an adsorption-container-content, the analysis was carried out by ultravioletvisible spectrophotometry in order to examine the kinetics of the concentration of reconstituted anticancer drugs. Results: All the polyvinyl chloride bags gave a spectrum identical to the spectrum of the reference bag, except the bags used to reconstitute etoposide whose spectra showed 12 additional peaks. With the absorbances measured by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry at different times, the analysis of variance statistical analysis shows that there is a significant difference in absorbances between t 0 and all the other measurement times. Conclusion: This study testifies to the existence of a container-content interaction between etoposide and polyvinyl chloride. Thus, reconstitution of etoposide for intravenous infusion into a polyvinyl chloride bag should be used immediately. For etoposide preparations intended for storage beyond 24 h, it is recommended to use a container other than the polyvinyl chloride bag.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.