Pediatrician Mom: Tips for administering different medication dosage forms to children Feeding (administering) medication to children is too difficult, as reflected by Chinese parents in particular. On the one hand, some pharmacies and hospitals/outpatient clinics lack medications in children’s dosage forms and doses, and on the other hand, most parents lack the skills to feed/administer medications to their children, resulting in some children resorting to intravenous drug administration because of the difficulty in feeding/administering medications to their children. In fact, children of different ages, in addition to the different doses of drugs used, can choose different drug dosage form, parents should master the different drug dosage form of drug delivery skills. Selection of drug dosage forms for children The drug dosage forms commonly used in pediatrics are: syrups, dry syrups, suppositories, enemas, ear drops, eye drops and ointments, nose drops and nasal sprays, inhalers, and skin applicators. On this issue of administering medication to children, doctors and parents in some other countries have set a good example for us; the Americans are very disciplined, the Japanese are very strict, and the French place great importance on the taste of the medication and the feelings of the child …… Children’s oral drug dosage form selection can refer to the United States, American clinicians usually according to the age of the child is divided into three stages: the first stage, children under the age of 2 years, are not allowed to use their own over-the-counter medication, must be under the guidance of a doctor to use medication, oral drugs using water; the second stage, 2 to 5 years old children, oral drugs are also basically used in the form of water; the third stage, 6 to 12 years of age, oral medication In the third stage, for children aged 6 to 12 years, oral medications may be in the form of pills or tablets in addition to water; unnecessary injections and infusions are not recommended for children in any of these stages. It is important to note that all medications need to be kept out of the child’s reach and have a regular place to be stored. Tips for administering different dosage forms 1. Syrups and dry syrups Syrups are liquid medications in a bottle. Each time you use it, you need to shake the bottle slowly to mix the ingredients well, and once opened, it is best to keep it refrigerated. Dry syrups are medicines that must be dissolved in water each time they are used. To feed the syrup: the person giving the medicine washes their hands and checks the medication. Shake the bottle slowly to mix the ingredients well. Keeping your line of sight level with the liquid level of the medication, measure the exact dose correctly using the scale on the container or cap. Then feed the baby with a dropper, applicator, small spoon or measuring cup. Feeding dry syrup: the person giving the medicine washes his/her hands and checks the medicine. If your baby likes the taste of this dry syrup loose, dilute it to the right consistency with warm, cool, boiled water and then give the medicine using a dropper, applicator, or measuring cup. If your baby does not like the taste of this dry syrupy powder, feed the powder to your child in small amounts in small portions wrapped in some kind of food, or older children can try to dilute it with water. Reminders: ① Give the medicine when your baby is in a good mood and is not very full. ② Most of the oral medicines can be mixed with (warm) water and bananas, not with boiled water and mineral water, some medicines are not suitable for mixing with fruit juice, milk, yogurt, etc. (some will have an abnormal bitter taste after mixing); do not mix the medicine in baby’s formula, porridge, and other foods, so as not to hate the food because of hate the medicine and hate the kind of food. ③ If it is determined in advance that you can mix a certain kind of food and drink, you can only mix a very small amount, mixing a large amount of food can not be eaten, you can not take in enough medicine. ④If the medicine is fed with a dropper, medicine dispenser or a small spoon, it should be inserted into the baby’s mouth at an appropriate depth to avoid spitting out the medicine. ⑤ If the medicine is fed with a measuring cup, the residual medicine at the bottom of the measuring cup can be added with an appropriate amount of water, and then the baby can drink all of it. ⑥ If the baby feels that the syrupy agent is too sweet, you can add water (not boiling water or mineral water) appropriately to dilute it a little. (7) If the baby immediately spit out all the medicine, should not immediately continue to feed the medicine, you can be a little interval later, try other ways to feed the medicine, the dose in accordance with the original amount can be prescribed, do not need to increase or decrease the amount. (8) After feeding the medicine, you can give some water to rinse the mouth. ⑨ for a little understanding of the child, try to patiently communicate with the child, feeding the medicine to obtain his cooperation, clearly tell the child to eat is the drug, so as not to accidentally take medicines in the future to lay a hidden danger. 2, suppositories Suppositories are drugs that can be inserted into the anus for use, and the drug is absorbed through the intestines. Suppositories generally need to be kept refrigerated, please use the drug within the period of use. Insert suppositories: wash your hands and check the medication. Put the baby in a lying position with legs elevated to expose the anus. Use the rounded end of the suppository as the tip and gently insert it into the anus, more easily if lubricated with olive oil. Once the suppository has been pushed completely into the anus, press on the anus for a while through the toilet paper – as the stimulation of the insertion of the suppository makes it easier to pass stool. Reminder: ①Try to use the suppository after your baby has had a bowel movement, as inserting the suppository will stimulate the anus and create the sensation of wanting to have a bowel movement. If the suppository comes out immediately after insertion, it can be reinserted immediately. ③If the suppository is discharged together with the stool after insertion, it needs to be reinserted. ④If more than two suppositories are used, the interval between uses should be at least 5 minutes. ⑤ If suppositories of anticonvulsants and antipyretic analgesics are used, the interval between uses should be at least 30 minutes. 3.Enema(Casein) The main ingredient of enema is glycerin, which makes the stool soft while stimulating the intestinal wall to discharge the stool. Enemas are usually kept in a cool place at room temperature, and should be used within the expiration date of the medication. Enema: The person giving the enema washes his/her hands and checks the medication. Put the baby in a lying position with legs elevated to expose the anus. Open the enema, squeeze out some liquid to lubricate the mouth of the tube, gently inserted into the anus, the mouth of the tube inserted into the anus about half the length of the anus later, squeeze out the liquid, and press the anus for a while through the toilet paper. 4, ear drops When otitis media or otitis externa will use some ear drops directly into the external ear canal, can also be used to soften the ear wax. Ear drops are usually kept in a cool place at room temperature, and should be used within the medication’s expiration date. Ear drops: The person giving the medication washes their hands and checks the medication. If the medication is fresh from the refrigerator it will be very cold and immediate use may cause dizziness, the bottle should be warmed to body temperature with your hands first. Put the baby in a side-lying position and gently pull on the earlobe to drop the medicine into the external ear canal. To avoid the medication flowing out, keep the baby in the side-lying position for a few minutes after dropping the medication. Even if you can’t hold on to the side-lying position, just don’t change the position of the head drastically. Reminder: ①If the medicine flows out of the ear immediately, you need to redrop the medicine. ② Try to pick the baby in a good mood when the ear drops, if the baby can not cooperate with the ear drops when awake, you can take him to sleep quietly drop. 5, eye drops and eye ointment eye drops and eye ointment is directly into the eye or smear the drug into the eye. Eye drops and ointments generally need to be kept refrigerated. If the medication needs to be kept out of the light, it can be placed in a blackout bag, and please use the medication within its expiration date. Eye drops: The person giving the medication washes his/her hands and checks the medication. Put the baby in a comfortable sitting or supine position. Gently flick open the baby’s lower eyelid with your finger and quickly insert a drop into the conjunctival sac of the inferior fornix (the inner side of the lower eyelid) – do not put the drop on the eyeball, as the conjunctival sac has a limited volume and a single drop is sufficient. Gently press the inner canthus with your finger for about half a minute to allow the medication to fully contact the eye, and gently wipe off any spillage with a disposable tissue. Applying eye ointment: the person giving the medicine washes his hands and checks the medication. Let the baby take a comfortable sitting or supine position. Squeeze the required amount of medication onto the tip of a sterile cotton swab, and replace the swab with a clean one if additional medication needs to be given. Using your finger, gently flick open your baby’s lower eyelid and dispense the medicine into the conjunctival sac of the inferior fornix (the inside of the lower eyelid). The medicine will melt slowly, so there is no need to apply too much. Reminder: ①Ear drops and eye drops have very similar bottles, so be sure to check before use and don’t make a mistake. ② The mouth of the bottle of eye drops should not come into direct contact with your eyes. ③The overflow of eye drops is the excess part, so there is no need to give additional medication. ④Don’t order eye drops when your baby is crying, as the medicine will be washed out by tears. ⑤ Eye medicines can usually only be kept for one month after opening. ⑥If you can’t order eye medicine when your baby is awake, you can take him to sleep and warm the bottle to body temperature with your hand, then quietly order the medicine. 6.Nasal drops and nasal sprays Nasal drops and nasal sprays are medications that are directly dropped or sprayed into the nasal cavity, absorbing the medication through the nasal mucosa. Nasal drops or nasal spray: the person who gives the medicine washes his hands and checks the medicine. Let the baby’s head gently tilt back and put a drop or spray of medicine into the nasal cavity. Reminder: ①Do not touch the container directly with mouth and nose when using. ② excessive use of nasal drops, can cause nasal mucosal edema, please be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions. 7, inhaler inhaler is the use of aids to make the drug mist spray, inhaled through the mouth, through the bronchial tubes and lungs, directly on the trachea, bronchial tubes and other places in the mucosa. Some drugs are flammable, so avoid exposure to sunlight and fire when storing them. Inhalation: Wash your hands and check the medication. Shake the container well before each use to make the drug shake well, when using the spray mouth to the baby’s mouth, press the spray button. Reminder: ① need to consult with the doctor in advance, and master the use of the method. ② If the drug remains in the mouth for a long time, may breed bacteria, after use to the baby with water rinse and clean around the mouth. 8, skin coating skin coating is mainly divided into oil and emulsion. Oil is generally not used for large areas, mostly used for localized affected areas; emulsion is generally applicable to large areas. Generally placed in a cool place at room temperature to store, please use within the drug use period. Before application, the administrator should wash his/her hands and check the medication. When applying to the head: comb out the hair to expose the scalp and apply the drug evenly to the affected area with the fingertips. When applying to other parts of the body: If the application area is small, apply the ointment on the fingertips beforehand and gently apply it in a diffused manner. If the application area is larger, you can dab the ointment on the affected area in a few more places beforehand and spread it gently and evenly. Take care to avoid the eyes and the area around the eyes. Reminder: ① Clean the localized skin before application. Because sweat and dirt can interfere with the action of the medication and may also lead to infection and aggravation of the condition, it is important to wipe or clean the localized skin before applying. ②Squeeze or scrape out the required amount. Because the fingers or sterilized swabs that have applied the drug can not touch the inside of the bottle again, otherwise it may lead to contamination of the drug by pathogenic microorganisms, so it is advisable to take out the right amount each time you use it, or change the clean sterilized swabs to take out the drug when you give additional medication. ③ Apply a thin layer to the localized affected area. In principle, a thin layer is applied, in case the baby licks the local skin where the medicine is applied, the amount of medicine entering the body is extremely small, so there is no need to worry too much.