Perioperative Series: Pediatric Considerations
Hours: 1.25
Pediatric patients are not small adults and medical errors and patient harm in the pediatric population differ in many ways from those associated with adults. For example, one study estimated that adverse drug events occur three times more often in pediatric patients than adults, due in large part to their smaller physical size, early developmental stages, and dependence on others for care (Mueller et al., 2019). All perioperative nurses and surgical technologists should have a fundamental understanding of the anatomical, physiological, psychological, and emotional differences of children compared to adults and how these differences impact the care needs of pediatric patients in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phases.
Pediatric patients are not small adults and medical errors and patient harm in the pediatric population differ in many ways from those associated with adults. For example, one study estimated that adverse drug events occur three times more often in pediatric patients than adults, due in large part to their smaller physical size, early developmental stages, and dependence on others for care (Mueller et al., 2019). All perioperative nurses and surgical technologists should have a fundamental understanding of the anatomical, physiological, psychological, and emotional differences of children compared to adults and how these differences impact the care needs of pediatric patients in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phases.
