Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and compare the rates of medication error (ME) using the PediSTAT application compared to the conventional method of calculating the correct dose and determining the appropriate route of medication administration for common pediatric emergencies. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study design was used for the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire that was distributed to certified paramedics holding a bachelor's degrees or higher and working in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Alternate simple random sampling was used to recruit the participants into two groups using the same questionnaire: the PediSTAT group and the conventional method group. The questionnaire contained four pediatric emergency vignettes: cardiac arrest, asthma exacerbation, seizures, and hypoglycemia. RESULTS: A total of 63 participants agreed to the study. Almost 80% of them were males, 81% held bachelor's degrees, and 87% were certified in pediatric resuscitation courses. The findings of the study showed that the use of the PediSTAT application increased accuracy and reduced the risk of ME for common pediatric emergencies. This was shown to be statistically significant for asthma medication dose (p-value < 0.001, 95% CI 0.034-0.352), midazolam dose (p-value = 0.012, 95% CI 0.030-0.764), and hypoglycemia medication dose (p-value < 0.001, 95% CI 0.046, 0.452). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings supported the use of standardized precalculated applications such as PediSTAT, which was shown to reduce the risk of ME in prehospital care for pediatric emergencies.