Official praise for device that helps in care of children (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Official praise for device that helps in care of children

11:33am Friday 3rd July 2009

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A PAIN relief device invented by a Darlington doctor has been praised by health minister and leading surgeon Lord Darzi.

Dr Richard Hixson, a consultant anaesthetist at Darlington Memorial Hospital, designed the pocket-sized machine, which helps nurses and doctors calculate correct doses of analgesic drugs depending on the age and weight of the child.

Lord Darzi has written to Dr Hixson to coincide with a new report, Delivering High Quality Care for All: One Year On.

Dr Hixson, who is employed by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “Prescribing medicines to children can be challenging and is often performed poorly with drug errors leading to adverse drug events, reactions and sometimes even death.

“After looking at existing guidelines, I decided there must be a better, more effective and safer way of providing prescribing information for children rather than adding further guidelines to the numerous formularies, books and recommendations.”

He began his research in 2007, and devised the method of delivering a single, safe and effective analgesic appropriate for most children.

He added: “The innovation is the approach to the calculation and presentation of the prescribing information. It is a double-sided device which comprises two outer sleeves and an inner rotating wheel.”

There are 8,000 wheels in use across the country, with plans to increase the number.

Dr Hixson added: “I am delighted that the paediatric analgesia wheel has been highlighted by Lord Darzi and it is a privilege to have my work in this area recognised at a national level.”

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