SORT Emergency Drug Calculator
As a junior doctor managing critically unwell children involves the use of a range of drugs that are often unfamiliar and have weight dependant dose calculations. In the acute situation the calculations can serve as a distraction from the clinical scenario and are a common source of error.
Aims
- Create an automated drug calculator for use in acute paediatric presentations with emergency drugs.
- Automate calculation based on a user entered weight.
- Include maximum and minimum dose ranges where applicable.
Description
- Single field of entry for ease of use.
- Prints onto A4 sheet with date in corner and space for patient label.
- Range of drugs Emergency, Cardiac, Neuro, Respiratory, Anaesthesia, Anaphylaxis and drug infusions including inotropes and sedation.
- Maximum and minimum doses where applicable.
Implementation
The calculator is hosted on the regional PICU website (www.sort.nhs.uk) and is used daily in the treatment of critically unwell children.
Development of the calculator and update is due out soon with additional drugs that have been requested via feedback from the regional paediatric intensive care forum. It is currently being tested as an iOS mobile app.
It has been widely adopted in our region with good feedback.
Project Lead: Tom Bennett & Southampton PICU
Organisation: Southampton Oxford Retrieval Team, PICU, Southampton General Hospital