ksasnic Report post Posted February 2, 2006 I was gob smacked today as Nick needs penicillin for a infected tooth so I got out the old xxxx (name removed by moderator) dosing syringe to use as he was very tetchy- easier than a spoon but I noticed that the dose looked to much to be 5ml so I measured out his medicine onto the syringe and it was a full 1ml off !!!! so I checked this with the xxxx (name removed by moderator) for children strawberry flavour to see if it made a difference there - it didn't - it was still around 1ml out... So I have been manically trying to find no's of people to mention this too as if a baby is given too much it could be really bad... got in touch with the xxxx (name removed by moderator) Healthcare people who's out of hours call centre is run by xxxx (name removed by moderator) and they are passing the info on to the right people. So if any of you have xxxx (name removed by moderator) for children strawberry flavour ibuprofen just check your syringe is giving out the correct dosage... I checked this syringe out with water, penicillin, xxxx, xxxx even milk and several different 5ml spoons and all were the same about 1ml left in the syringe when the spoon was full !!! Anyway if you know of anyone who uses the stuff get them to check as a matter of urgency.... Its got me to check all my other dosing syringes now just to be safe !!! All brand names have been removed by a moderator. We suggest that parents check all dosing syringes as a precaution. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted February 2, 2006 I and my sister have both noticed this with the shringes and commented to each other but Doh us, never thought to test it like you did. I got my shringes from both hosital and chemists. Wonder how many others are out there! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smallworld Report post Posted February 2, 2006 We noticed this after giving up on the oral syringe and squeezing it out onto a 5 ml spoon, there was loads left ! So I'm unsure which measure is actually right I think it's really tricky to get the full 5ml on a spoon, and then you have to account for the amount that goes all over you, the child, the bedclothes..... It's pretty much guess work isn't it ? Not a big problem for older children, but crucial for babies. wac Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirstie Report post Posted February 3, 2006 OMG I have been giving my baby this and the other strawberry flavoured one at the moment via hospital acquired syringe. He seems to be teething. I am really upset now. I'm off to check it!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ksasnic Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Ooh sorry Kirstie, I didn't want to upset anyone but thought that we need to know about this as 1ml is a lot left over... especially as its our kids we are giving it too.. I am sure it will be fine - I now know that 4ml on this syringe is equivalent to the 5ml needed.. I had the call back from the makers of the medicine who tried to inform me that these syringes were calibrated and tested to the highest degree... etc... you could tell she was saying that I was therefore unqualified to question this so I pointed out that they were still mass produced and therefore still liable for error!! she basically couldn't care less it seemed... so I have a form to fill out for the MHRA people, stressing my concerns... Gut feeling with this is that the woman knew more than she was letting on... Please Kirstie let me know whether your syringe was right or off by some and if so by how much so then I can include another part of the country when submitting my concerns to the relavent people.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Ooh sorry Kirstie, I didn't want to upset anyone but thought that we need to know about this as 1ml is a lot left over... especially as its our kids we are giving it too.. I am sure it will be fine - I now know that 4ml on this syringe is equivalent to the 5ml needed.. I had the call back from the makers of the medicine who tried to inform me that these syringes were calibrated and tested to the highest degree... etc... you could tell she was saying that I was therefore unqualified to question this so I pointed out that they were still mass produced and therefore still liable for error!! she basically couldn't care less it seemed... so I have a form to fill out for the MHRA people, stressing my concerns... Gut feeling with this is that the woman knew more than she was letting on... Please Kirstie let me know whether your syringe was right or off by some and if so by how much so then I can include another part of the country when submitting my concerns to the relavent people.. I'm not kirstie but I do live in Wales so I could do that test too. I know it's more in the syringe but will let you know by how much asap ok. Maybe it's worth going national with this (especially given this ladiy's refusing to take action) and asking the papers to cover the story. Worth a shot I'd say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Sorry being a bit dense here but are you comparing the volume of liquid in a syringe with the volume of liquid on a teaspoon or comparing syringes from different manufacturers measuring out different volumes? Lx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted February 4, 2006 (edited) Sorry being a bit dense here but are you comparing the volume of liquid in a syringe with the volume of liquid on a teaspoon or comparing syringes from different manufacturers measuring out different volumes? Lx Liz, it's the measurement difference between a 5ml syringe and a 5ml medicine spoon that you'll find supplied within most medicine boxes, these are clear spoons with a handle or you can also get the white spoons with 5ml on one end and a 2.5ml on the other end. The syringes can be requested from the pharmasist if parents have difficulty getting a child to take meds from a med spoon. The syringes also mark as 5ml but there is a difference between the 5ml measurements of the med spoons and the 5ml measurements of the syringes. All are supplied for meds. HTH's. Edited February 4, 2006 by Tylers-mum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Liz, it's the measurement difference between a 5ml syringe and a 5ml medicine spoon that you'll find supplied within most medicine boxes, these are clear spoons with a handle or you can also get the white spoons with 5ml on one end and a 2.5ml on the other end. The syringes can be requested from the pharmasist if parents have difficulty getting a child to take meds from a med spoon. The syringes also mark as 5ml but there is a difference between the 5ml measurements of the med spoons and the 5ml measurements of the syringes. All are supplied for meds. HTH's. Ta for that! Was getting confused! Of particular interest as we use syringes in this house A LOT so a bit worrying. I've just tried it with the orange 5ml syringe from a prorietary brand of ibuprofen, a clear 5ml syringe from the pharmacist that came with penicillin syrup and the 5ml end of a white medicine spoon as well as a 5ml cooking teaspoon and they all hold the same amount. Is it a different manufacturers syringe that is holding too much? We don't use the pink coloured paracetamol syrup in our house as sends DS wappy,dunno if that comes with a syringe Liz x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted February 4, 2006 (edited) Liz, so your 5ml syringes hold the same amount as the 5ml spoon right?? There isn't any med left in the syringe when the spoon is full right?? Edited February 4, 2006 by Tylers-mum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ksasnic Report post Posted February 4, 2006 This is interesting so far it seems as if its mainly the xxxx (name removed by moderator) syringe thats out... eitherway I wrote an e-mail to the lancet to see if they have heard anything detrimental to the xxxx (name removed by moderator) syringes or for that matter any other syringe.... my mates child is diabetic could be lethal if these weren't measuring the correct dosage either.... wondering whether its just an isolated problem or a more far reaching one.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tylers-mum Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Uhh, my syringes came from the pharmasist by verbal request from myself and not within med boxes. Here we only get the spoons in med boxes. My son doesn't use xxxx (name removed by moderator) as he's Asthmatic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LizK Report post Posted February 4, 2006 Liz, so your 5ml syringes hold the same amount as the 5ml spoon right?? There isn't any med left in the syringe when the spoon is full right?? Yes, that's right. They all hold the same amount.Have had a fun 10 mins squirting water from one to the other! If I try it on a normal teaspoon there is liquid left but a teasppon doesn't hold 5mls. I've accumulated quite a collection of syringes though they are either the orange ones or the clear ones. I'm not sure which syringes the OP is referring too as the mods have eradicated the manufacters name. Maybe it's a different one. Maybe someone could PM me which brand of syringe is the dodgy one Liz x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites