Dose calculation
errors constitute a significant part of prescribing errors which
might have resulted from informal teaching of the topic in medical
schools.
Objectives: To determine adequacy of knowledge and skills of drug
dose calculations in children acquired by medical students during
their clinical attachment in paediatrics.
Methods: Fifty two 5th year medical students of the Lagos State
University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja were examined
on drug dose calculations from a vial and ampoules of injections,
syrup and suspension, and tablet formulation. The examination
was with a structured questionnaire mostly in the form of multiple
choice questions.
Results: Thirty-six (69.2%) and 30 (57.7%) students were taught
drug dose calculation in neonatal posting and during ward rounds/
bed-side teaching, respectively. Less than 50% of the students
were able to calculate the correct doses of each of adrenaline,
gentamicin, chloroquine and sodium bicarbonate injections required
by the patient. Dose calculation was however relatively better
with adrenalin when compared with the other injections. The proportion
of female students that calculated the correct doses of quinine
syrup and cefuroxime suspension were significantly higher than
those of their male counterparts (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively;
Chi-square test).
When doses calculated in mg/dose and mL/dose was compared for
adrenalin injection and each of quinine syrup and cefuroxime suspension,
there were significant differences (adrenaline and quinine, p=0.005;
adrenaline and cefuroxime, p=0.003: Fischer’s exact test). Dose
calculation errors of similar magnitude to injections, syrup and
suspension were also observed with tablet formulation.
Conclusions: LASUCOM medical students lacked the basic knowledge
of paediatric drug dose calculations but were willing to learn
if the topic was formally taught. Drug dose calculations should
be given a prominent consideration in the undergraduate medical
curriculum in Nigeria.
