Dr Baily’s letter1 uses the guidelines for prescribing adrenaline in an emergency situation. This is not the guideline that prescribers should use when deciding the dosage of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAI) to give to an adult or child for self-administration. Both age and weight can have a bearing on what dosage of AAI to prescribe an individual.
The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology state that the correct guidelines for routine dosage are as follows: adult or child >12 years at 0.5 mg (with 0.3 mg more appropriate for a smaller child aged >2 years); adult, adolescent, or child >30 kg at 0.3 mg; children 15–30 kg at 0.15 mg (with 0.3 mg more appropriate for some children, such as those >25 kg) and children <15 kg (unlicensed) at 0.15 mg.2 The correct age/weight-adjusted dose can also be found in the BNF.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2018