Braslow Tape Directions

In an emergency, a nurse or a doctor may not have enough time to measure and weigh a child to determine the correct dosage of a specific medication. The Braslow or Broselow Tape system was designed to help solve this problem and give medical professionals a quick and accurate way to figure out proper dosages. You will use the tape and a color-coded system to determine how much medicine to give a child in need.

Instructions

• 1

  Put the child on an examining table on his back. Remove his shoes if it is safe to do so. Unroll the tape flat next to him. Make sure the color-coded side is facing up so you can quickly read the tape.

• 2

  Place the red end of the tape next to the child's head. Line up the end of the tape with the top of her head, not the top of her hair. Hold the red end of the tape in place with one hand.

• 3

  Run your free hand down the length of the tape slowly until you reach the child's heel. Do not measure from the end of his toes, but from the heel. You must keep the tape stationary during this step. Get another person to help you if your arms are not long enough.

• 4

  Locate the color zone that the child's heel falls into on the tape. This will tell you her approximate weight. Each color zone lists typical medicines used in an emergency along with the appropriate dosage for a child who falls into this zone.

• 5

  Use the Acute Book that comes with the tape system to find the dosage of medicines not listed on the tape. The book is separated into sections based on the color code that the child falls into. The medicines are listed by type.