Evidence · Research paper
Large differences in neonatal drug use between NICUs are common practice: time for consensus?
- Allied health
- Cardiovascular
- Comfort and nursing care
- Families and professional practice
- Medical
- Neurology
- Nursing
- Pain and comfort
- Quality improvement
- Seizures
- Shock and hypotension
This paper is from 2018, more than five years ago. Newer evidence may have been published since.
Summary
Multicentre observational study of drug prescribing across four Dutch NICUs over 12 months, including 1491 neonates from extreme preterm to term. Drugs were classified by ATC system and assessed for off-label use relative to neonatal age, and unit protocols for pain, intubation, convulsions and hypotension were compared. Prescribing varied widely between units, particularly for nervous system and cardiovascular drugs, which also had the highest off-label proportions. The authors call for prioritised neonatal drug research and greater consensus.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
- Licence:
- Open (Creative Commons)
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