how to write an order for vaccinations?

[leeolivesingh]

Stupid question: one of my attending's patients needed a tetanus shot the other day, and he asked me how I would write for it. I tried looking on the forums and googling how one writes orders for vaccines but came up with nothing. Can anyone help?

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[lowbudget]

Depends why you're getting it. Is it primary vaccination or booster? Is there a wound and if so is it clean or dirty? Is the patient adult or child?

The order is tetanus toxoid 0.5 mL IM.

In primary vs booster the dose is the same, but frequency differs (and you need to counsel/give instructions properly). Refer to your immunization chart: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/clinical/immunizationres.html

Clean/dirty wound affects whether you give tetanus immunoglobin or not: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000301/tips/33.html
You'll need to look up the dosing to tetanus immunoglobins ____ units IM x1 on epocrates or whatever.

Last consideration is whether or not you're going to give tetanus toxoid & diphtheria... with/without acellular pertussis (Td or Tdap). I believe there's Adacel & Boostrix.

Hope that gives you a start to look it up.

 

[thethom]

Depends why you're getting it. Is it primary vaccination or booster? Is there a wound and if so is it clean or dirty? Is the patient adult or child?

The order is tetanus toxoid 0.5 mL IM.

In primary vs booster the dose is the same, but frequency differs (and you need to counsel/give instructions properly). Refer to your immunization chart: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/clinical/immunizationres.html

Clean/dirty wound affects whether you give tetanus immunoglobin or not: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000301/tips/33.html
You'll need to look up the dosing to tetanus immunoglobins ____ units IM x1 on epocrates or whatever.

Last consideration is whether or not you're going to give tetanus toxoid & diphtheria... with/without acellular pertussis (Td or Tdap). I believe there's Adacel & Boostrix.

Hope that gives you a start to look it up.

I just write "please give XXX vaccine now." Usually don't include the dosage...

 

[deleted87716]

I can remember writing "Td" on my charts in the ED. Worked then. Probably still does.