The German guidelines for medication safety in pediatric emergencies

Abstract

Medication errors are a significant threat to the safety of patients of all ages. These errors are more common in children than in adults due to age-specific drug dosages, drug dilutions, and individual dose calculation based on body weight. In addition, it may be necessary to rapidly administer several potentially harmful or even life-threatening drugs during the emergency situation. It is not possible to provide specialized pediatric emergency teams for every prehospital or intrahospital emergency and technical resources are frequently not identical to those of a specialized facility further increasing the risk of medication errors. This narrative review of the German Guidelines for Medication Safety in Pediatric Emergencies introduces the main principles for medication safety in pediatric emergencies and the highlights its most important pragmatic measures and recommendations.