Please make sure that you check your adrenaline doses

 It has been identified by the Patient Safety Team over the past few weeks that there may be some confusion over the dose of intra-muscular Adrenaline 1:1000 for paediatric patients suffering with life-threatening asthma or anaphylaxis.

Due to the pocket version of the Clinical Practice Guidelines having a separate table for the cardiac arrest dose of 1:10,000 adrenaline in the age-per-page section, it has been identified that staff have given the dose as stated in this table for the aforementioned conditions.

Whilst the correct drug has been given via the correct route, the wrong dose has therefore been administered.

Please ensure that when administering Adrenaline of any concentration to a paediatric patient, the correct table is referred to in the JRCALC age-per-page section.

Paramedics can administer IM 1:1000 adrenaline for anaphylaxis and life-threatening asthma, whereas EMTs are only licenced to administer this medication in cases of anaphylaxis.

Published 26th November, 2015