RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Feasibility of developing children’s Pill School within a UK hospital
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 705
OP 708
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2020-319154
VO 106
IS 7
A1 Asia N Rashed
A1 David Terry
A1 Andy Fox
A1 Nanna Christiansen
A1 Stephen Tomlin
YR 2021
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/106/7/705.abstract
AB Objective We assessed the feasibility of introducing an intervention (children’s Pill School—PS) within a UK hospital to provide swallowing training for children, identified the proportion of children who can be switched from oral liquid medicines to pills and assessed children/parents’ opinions about the PS training.Methods 30 inpatient children (aged 3–18 years; taking oral liquid medicines; their liquid medications assessed suitable for switching to pills; can (and their parents) speak/understand English were included. Training sessions were delivered using hard sweets of different sizes.Results 87% (26) of children successfully learnt how to swallow pills after one training session (mean duration 14.5 min), and 92% (24) were discharged on pills. 75 prescribed oral liquid medications were deemed suitable for switching to pills. Of these, 89% (67) were switched successfully.Conclusion Children as young as 3 years were successful in swallowing pills after training. Providing children PS training session within hospital is feasible and acceptable to children and their parents.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.