Handan Boztepe1, Handan Özdemir2, Çiğdem Karababa2, Özlem Yıldız2. 1. Faculty of Nursing, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. boztepehandan@gmail.com. 2. İhsan Doğramacı Children's Hospital, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine parents' experiences and problems with administering medication to their children at home. BACKGROUND: Parents' experiences and access to information for the treatment of their children's illnesses at home is necessary for their children's safety. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: Four hundred parents from children's hospital outpatient clinics were included. A questionnaire was used to determine parents' experiences and problems with administering medication to their children at home. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using the spss software package (version 22.00). RESULTS: Antipyretics (59%) and antibiotics (25%) were the most commonly used medicines by parents without prescription. Nearly half of the parents stated that they gave liquid medicine with a household spoon. It was found that 54% of the parents whose children refused to take tablets or liquid medicine mixed these medications into foods. Treatment was delayed in 20·7% of the children who refused to take tablets and in 29·1% of the children who refused to take liquid medicine. As a result of the project, a form and device were developed as a solution to the problems experienced by parents while administering oral medication in the home environment. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that a significant percentage of the parents did not use the correct equipment to administer medications, used non-prescription medicines, did not administer medications at correct intervals and mixed medication into foods. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should continually evaluate medication administration by parents at home and the readmission rate in the emergency department to further improve children's health.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine parents' experiences and problems with administering medication to their children at home. BACKGROUND: Parents' experiences and access to information for the treatment of their children's illnesses at home is necessary for their children's safety. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: Four hundred parents from children's hospital outpatient clinics were included. A questionnaire was used to determine parents' experiences and problems with administering medication to their children at home. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using the spss software package (version 22.00). RESULTS: Antipyretics (59%) and antibiotics (25%) were the most commonly used medicines by parents without prescription. Nearly half of the parents stated that they gave liquid medicine with a household spoon. It was found that 54% of the parents whose children refused to take tablets or liquid medicine mixed these medications into foods. Treatment was delayed in 20·7% of the children who refused to take tablets and in 29·1% of the children who refused to take liquid medicine. As a result of the project, a form and device were developed as a solution to the problems experienced by parents while administering oral medication in the home environment. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that a significant percentage of the parents did not use the correct equipment to administer medications, used non-prescription medicines, did not administer medications at correct intervals and mixed medication into foods. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should continually evaluate medication administration by parents at home and the readmission rate in the emergency department to further improve children's health.