BCPPS case studies
BCPPS · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist (BCPPS) credential is awarded by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) to pharmacists who demonstrate advanced knowledge and judgment in the care of infants, children, and adolescents. It is aimed at pharmacists whose practice is substantially pediatric - inpatient general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, pediatric hematology/oncology, cardiology, critical care, ambulatory specialty clinics, or academia with a pediatric focus - and who want an external, peer-recognized validation of that expertise beyond licensure. The BCPPS case studies are 5 cases and about 3,486 words.
1Gentamicin, Caffeine, and PDA Therapy in a 900-g Preterm Infant
A 27-week-gestation female, birth weight 900 g, is 48 hours old in the NICU on conventional ventilation for suspected early-onset sepsis. Current weight 880 g; urine output 1.2 mL/kg/h; serum creatinine 0.8 mg/dL; platelets 88,000/µL.
679 words, about 3 min2Otitis Media Treatment Failure and a Questionable Penicillin "Allergy"
An 18 kg 4-year-old has a 4-day history of right otalgia, fever to 39.0°C, and a bulging, opaque tympanic membrane. He has taken amoxicillin 90 mg/kg/day divided twice daily for 72 hours with no improvement.
682 words, about 3 min3New-Onset Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Fluid, Insulin, and Potassium Decisions
A 9-year-old boy weighing 30 kg presents with 2 weeks of polyuria and polydipsia, 12 hours of vomiting, Kussmaul respirations, and lethargy. Heart rate 128, respiratory rate 32, blood pressure 88/54, capillary refill 3 seconds.
720 words, about 4 min4Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome: Steroid Dosing, Biopsy Thresholds, and Immunization
A 5-year-old girl, 18 kg, BSA 0.75 m², presents with 6 days of periorbital edema that has progressed to abdominal distension and labial edema. Blood pressure 96/60; urine output 0.6 mL/kg/h; urine protein 4+ with a protein/creatinine ratio of 8.2; serum albumin 1.6 g/dL; total cholesterol 340 mg/dL; creatinine 0.4 mg/dL; sodium 132 mEq/L; potassium 3.9 mEq/L.
699 words, about 3 min5Toddler with a Sulfonylurea Ingestion: Disposition and Dextrose Strategy
An 18-month-old boy weighing 13 kg was found playing with his grandmother's open bottle of glipizide 10 mg tablets; six tablets are unaccounted for. He is playful and asymptomatic with a point-of-care glucose of 74 mg/dL 30 minutes after the ingestion, heart rate 118, and normal examination.
706 words, about 4 min