For selected medications, the weight-based calculated dose is used to select a pre-defined standard dose. The calculated dose is determined by multiplying the selected weight-based dose (amount per kilogram of weight) by the patient's weight in kilograms (kg). The calculated dose is compared to a table of dose ranges to determine within which range the calculated dose falls. The standardized dose that applies to that dose range is returned as the dose for the order.
Standardized dosing is applied only when the patient meets a minimum weight for the selected medication. It is not applied to taper dosing.
The dosing tables have been defined by Pediatric Quality and Safety as part of the initiative to enhance the safety of pediatric weight-based dosing.
For example, for pediatric patients weighting more than 2 kg, if the calculated dose for acetaminophen elixir falls between 140 mg and 199 mg, the standardized dose for the order is 160 mg.