Determination of dry powder volumes of powdered medicines in vials and investigation of nurses' and physicians' awareness of the issue

Aim: In the study, it was aimed to provide data to clinical nurses by determining the dry powder volume of frequently used powdered medicines in vials, and to reveal the pediatric nurses' and physicians' awareness of the issue. Method: The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 136 nurses and 47 physicians who worked in the pediatric units of a university hospital between May 2017 and July 2017 and volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher in line with the literature. The questionnaire included items questioning the physicians' and nurses' awareness of and applications related to dry powder volumes of powdered medicines. Differences in the dry powder volumes of commonly used medicines were determined by the researcher and an observer. The data were analyzed with percentages and the chi square test. Results: Of the nurses participating in the study, 72.8% stated that they sometimes read the medication booklet before preparing the medication. While 85.3% of the participating nurses observed the increase in the amount of drug depending on the volume of dry powder when they were preparing the medication, only 30.2% of the nurses always prepared the medication by paying attention to the difference between the volume of medication prepared and the volume of the dry powder. While the correct response rate (18.4%) regarding the difference between the volume of medication prepared and the volume of the dry powder belonged to nurses working in the pediatric surgery clinic, the correct response rate in other units was very low. On the other hand, the great majority (97.9%) of the participating physicians stated that they did not receive any information about the dry powder volume, and 95.7% said that they did not take into account this issue when giving medication orders. In the study, it was determined that there was a difference between the volume of medication prepared and the volume of the dry powder in 16 out of the 20 medicines investigated within the scope of the research. Conclusion: The study results revealed that the drug preparation rate considering the dry powder volume was very low. Therefore, many children were treated taking an underdose of the medication. Therefore, it was recommended that a chart showing the difference between the volume of medication prepared and the volume of the dry powder should be placed in the relevant clinics. Key words: dry powder volume difference, pediatrics, nurse, medication errors