Paediatric Tape: A Safety Tool for Emergency Services at Primary Care

Uroš Zafošnik, Zalika Klemenc Ketiš, Antonija Poplas Susič

Keywords: Primary Care; Safety; Tool

Introduction:

Ljubljana Community Health Centre has developed a “paediatric tape” that can be used by primary care physicians in emergencies. It is designed to help physicians to determine which emergency medication and dosage can be administered to a child in need of medical assistance, depending on the child's height and weight.
The tape measures the length of the child and estimates how old they are and how much they weigh. The tape is labelled with medications that are appropriate for a child of a certain height and weight. They are colour-coded and the appropriate doses are recorded.

Aim(s):

The aim of this workshop is for participants to understand the importance and practical application in the case of a critically ill child. In addition, we want to familiarise participants with an excellent tool that will increase the efficiency of the healthcare team when caring for a critically ill child. Special emphasis is placed on safety and reducing the likelihood of errors.

Programme:

During the workshop, we will provide hands-on training on how to use the tape to measure a child's length, assess age and weight, determine appropriate therapy, and gain knowledge of colour coding and recording doses on the paediatric tape. The workshop will be followed by a simulation in which participants will use the paediatric tape in the care of a critically ill child. The simulation will be followed by a debriefing on the proper use of the tape.
Participants will learn why and how to use paediatric tape. They will gain insight into the fact that the use of tape makes medical treatment safer, makes staff more confident and minimises the risk of errors.

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