Table 3.
Odds ratios by calculation item for correct outcome using the calculator compared with manual calculation in a generalized estimated equations (GEE) model
| Case description | N | Calculation instruction | Absolute correct outcome | Clinically relevant outcome (10% deviation accepted) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct/total (%)c | Odds ratio | 95% CIc | p value | Correct/total (%)c | Odds ratio | 95% CI | p value | |||||||
| Calc | Man | Lower | Upper | Calc | Man | Lower | Upper | |||||||
|
Agea 13 years, weight 47 kg, underwent a surgical procedure and is in pain. Prescription for oral paracetamol (acetaminophen) QID Recommended dose: 90 mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses, max. 4 g/day and 1 g/dose |
1 | Daily dose of paracetamol in mg/day | 31/35 (89) | 22/35 (63) | 4.58b | 1.32 | 15.93 | 0.017 | 31/35 (89) | 22/35 (63) | 4.58 | 1.32 | 15.93 | 0.017 |
| 2 | Single dose of paracetamol in mg/dose | 30/35 (89) | 25/34 (74) | 2.16 | 0.64 | 7.28 | 0.214 | 30/35 (89) | 25/34 (74) | 2.16 | 0.64 | 7.28 | 0.214 | |
|
Agea 2 years, weight 18.5 kg, has an upper airway infection for which oral amoxicillin TIDc is prescribed Recommended dose: 40–90 mg/kg/day in 2–4 divided doses, max. 3 g/day |
3 | Daily dose of amoxicillin in mg/day | 25/36 (69) | 21/33 (64) | 1.30 | 0.48 | 3.54 | 0.610 | 27/36 (75) | 24/33 (73) | 1.13 | 0.38 | 3.30 | 0.830 |
| 4 | Volume per single dose of amoxicillin suspension (25 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 18/27 (67) | 11/30 (37) | 3.46 | 1.16 | 10.29 | 0.026 | 19/27 (70) | 22/30 (73) | 0.86 | 0.27 | 2.74 | 0.804 | |
|
Agea 4 years, weight 15.5 kg, allergic to pollen, for which oral desloratadine once daily is prescribed Recommended dose: 1.25 mg/day in 1 dose |
5 | Daily dose in mg/day | 32/35 (91) | 34/36 (94) | 0.63 | 0.10 | 4.00 | 0.622 | 32/35 (91) | 34/36 (94) | 0.63 | 0.10 | 4.00 | 0.622 |
| 6 | Volume per single dose of desloratadine syrup (0.5 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 30/33 (91) | 34/36 (94) | 0.59 | 0.09 | 3.76 | 0.575 | 30/33 (91) | 34/36 (94) | 0.59 | 0.09 | 3.76 | 0.575 | |
|
Agea PNA 2 weeks, weight 3250 g, serious GORD, for which oral ranitidine is prescribed Recommended dose: 5 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses |
7 | Daily dose of ranitidine in mg/day | 26/34 (76) | 20/32 (63) | 1.95 | 0.67 | 5.67 | 0.220 | 28/34 (82) | 22/32 (69) | 2.12 | 0.67 | 6.74 | 0.202 |
| 8 | Volume per single dose of ranitidine syrup (15 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 26/30 (87) | 16/31 (52) | 6.09 | 1.72 | 21.63 | 0.005 | 26/30 (87) | 16/31 (52) | 6.09 | 1.72 | 21.63 | 0.005 | |
|
Agea 11 years, weight 34.5 kg, epilepsy, for which oral phenytoin TID is prescribed Recommended dose: 4–5 mg/kg/day in 2–3 divided doses |
9 | Daily dose of phenytoin in mg/day | 28/39 (72) | 23/33 (70) | 1.11 | 0.40 | 3.06 | 0.845 | 31/39 (79) | 29/33 (88) | 0.53 | 0.15 | 1.97 | 0.346 |
| 10 | Single dose phenytoin in mg/dose | 24/38 (63) | 18/32 (56) | 1.33 | 0.51 | 3.48 | 0.557 | 28/38 (74) | 22/32 (69) | 1.27 | 0.45 | 3.60 | 0.649 | |
|
Agea 9 years, weight 32.1 kg; iron deficiency anaemia for which iron supplementation is indicated. Oral ferrous fumarate is prescribed Recommended dose: 9 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses, max. 600 mg/day and 200 mg/dose |
11 | Daily dose of ferrous fumarate in mg/day | 24/34 (71) | 4/31 (13) | 16.20 | 4.49 | 58.46 | < 0.001 | 32/34 (94) | 13/31 (42) | 22.15 | 4.49 | 109.38 | < 0.001 |
| 12 | Volume per single dose of ferrous fumarate suspension (20 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 26/33 (79) | 15/28 (54) | 3.22 | 1.05 | 9.84 | 0.040 | 28/33 (85) | 20/28 (71) | 2.24 | 0.64 | 7.87 | 0.208 | |
|
Agea 10 years, weight 38 kg; ADHD for which oral methylphenidate is prescribed. Maintenance dose is given TID Recommended dose: Start 0.3 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses Maintenance: 0.3–0.6 mg/kg/day in 2–3 divided doses |
13 | Daily maintenance dose of methylphenidate in mg/day | 23/30 (77) | 23/34 (68) | 1.57 | 0.52 | 4.77 | 0.425 | 24/30 (80) | 25/34 (74) | 1.44 | 0.44 | 4.66 | 0.543 |
| 14 | Single maintenance dose of methylphenidate in mg/dose | 20/28 (71) | 14/29 (48) | 2.68 | 0.89 | 8.02 | 0.078 | 20/28 (71) | 14/29 (48) | 2.68 | 0.89 | 8.02 | 0.078 | |
|
Agea 11 years, weight 38 kg, height 1.49 m; admitted to ER with anaphylactic reaction to a wasp sting for which prednisolone IV is prescribed Recommended dose: 1 mg/kg/dose, max. 25 mg/dose |
15 | Volume per single dose of prednisolone IV (25 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 24/36 (67) | 18/33 (55) | 1.67 | 0.63 | 4.42 | 0.304 | 24/36 (67) | 18/33 (55) | 1.67 | 0.63 | 4.42 | 0.304 |
|
Premature neonate born at 26 weeksa PMA, weight at birth 712 g, current weight 850 g, has an infection for which flucloxacillin IV is prescribed Recommended dose: 75 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses |
16 | Volume per single dose of flucloxacillin IV (125 mg/50 mL) in mL/dose | 8/16 (50) | 12/26 (46) | 1.17 | 0.34 | 4.06 | 0.809 | 10/16 (63) | 16/26 (62) | 1.04 | 0.29 | 3.76 | 0.950 |
|
Agea 2 years, weight 13.2 kg, Constipated for which oral lactulose BID is prescribed Recommended dose: 0.6–2 g/kg/day in 1–2 divided doses, max. 66 g/day |
17 | Daily dose of lactulose in mg/day | 12/33 (36) | 18/34 (53) | 0.51 | 0.19 | 1.35 | 0.175 | 14/33 (42) | 24/34 (71) | 0.31 | 0.11 | 0.84 | 0.022 |
| 18 | Volume per single dose of lactulose oral solution (670 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 20/28 (71) | 9/27 (33) | 5.00 | 1.59 | 15.72 | 0.006 | 21/28 (75) | 17/27 (63) | 1.76 | 0.55 | 5.62 | 0.337 | |
|
Agea 10 years, weight 36.5 kg, prophylaxis of thrombotic episode, for which nadroparine is prescribed Recommended dose: 85.5 IU/kg/day in 1 dose, max. 2850 IU/dose |
19 | Volume per single dose of nadroparin injection (9500 IU/mL) in mL/dose | 29/36 (81) | 8/35 (23) | 13.99 | 4.46 | 43.80 | < 0.001 | 29/36 (81) | 8/35 (23) | 13.99 | 4.46 | 43.80 | < 0.001 |
|
Agea 14 years, weight 52 kg, height 1.64 m, chemotherapy-related nausea for which prophylactic ondansetron IV is prescribed Recommended dose: 5–8 mg/m2/dose PRN 3 times daily, max. 16 mg/dose |
20 | Volume per single dose of ondansetron IV (2 mg/mL) in mL/dose | 17/33 (52) | 6/27 (22) | 3.72 | 1.19 | 11.57 | 0.023 | 22/33 (67) | 23/27 (85) | 0.35 | 0.10 | 1.26 | 0.107 |
|
Agea 4 months, weight 6.5 kg, congenital hypothyroidism for which levothyroxine once daily is prescribed Recommended dose: 6–10 µg/kg/day in 1 dose |
21 | Volume per single dose of levothyroxine oral solution (25 µg/5 mL) in mL/dose | 21/30 (70) | 19/35 (54) | 1.96 | 0.70 | 5.48 | 0.197 | 23/30 (77) | 25/35 (71) | 1.31 | 0.43 | 4.03 | 0.632 |
|
Agea 7 years, weight 24 kg. Admitted to OR, where remifentanil is administered as a continuous infusion Recommended dose: Induction: 0.5–1 µg/kg/dose bolus Maintenance: 0.1–2 µg/kg/min continuous infusion |
22 | Initial single dose of remifentanil in µg/dose | 33/36 (92) | 34/35 (97) | 0.32 | 0.03 | 3.27 | 0.339 | 34/36 (94) | 34/35 (97) | 0.50 | 0.04 | 5.78 | 0.579 |
| 23 | Maintenance dose of remifentanil continuous infusion in µg/min | 29/36 (81) | 30/35 (86) | 0.69 | 0.20 | 2.42 | 0.563 | 29/36 (81) | 31/35 (89) | 0.53 | 0.18 | 2.96 | 0.356 | |
ADHD attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, BID bis in die, two times a day, Calc calculation group, CI confidence interval, ER emergency room, GORD gastro-oesophageal reflux disease/disorder, IU international units, IV intravenous, Man manual group, OR operating room, PMA post-menstrual age, PNA post-natal age, PRN pro re nata, as needed, QID quarter in die, four times a day, TID ter in die, three times a day
aInstead of the actual age in years, the date of birth corresponding to the age in years was provided to the participants
bBold text highlights the significant results
cCorrect/total (%): number of participants with calculations and total number of participants that performed the calculation