MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Four Manatee County students designed a new tool to calculate the proper dosage for medicines.
“Each year millions of people are harmed and thousands die due to a simple yet impactful medical error: medication dosage miscalculation,” Ava Biasini said.
Biasini is a student at Braden River High School. She and three other students -- Jordan Sheehan, Kolby Wade and Nolwen Bachtle -- came together to create “Valitudo,” a medical dosage calculator.
“The whole point of our app is to automate that process,” Sheehan said. “It reduces the room for human error by allowing doctors and physicians to input information about their patient and the app will calculate that dosage by itself.”
The idea behind this app came after a friend of theirs nearly died from a miscalculated medical dosage.
“He was just administered way more than what the appropriate dosage was, and he actually almost lost his life,” Sheehan said. “So, the fact that that problem kind of hit home to us was a lot of what jumpstarted that idea to automate this process.”
These students are being recognized as the 2020 winners of the 16th Congressional District App Challenge.
Rep. Vern Buchanan hailed the ingenuity of the students, saying “I can’t commend them enough for inventing such an important and potentially life-saving tool. I’m proud to name them this year’s winners of the 16th Congressional District App Challenge, part of a national competition to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math.”
The winning entry “Valitudo” allows medical providers to input information about their patient's condition/infection, weight and height, and the app will calculate the proper dosage to administer. It also includes a medicine database that contains descriptions, dosage information and side effects of other medicines.
The app will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us and will also be eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
“STEM education gives students the knowledge they need to succeed and helps the U.S. compete in a global economy,” Buchanan said. “Children are 25 percent of the population, but 100 percent of the future and the future is in good hands with students like these.”
- 'It saved my life': COVID-19 patients and doctors praising drug meant to neutralize the virus
- FHP: Motorcyclist jailed for leaving crash that left 7-year-old dead
- Alcohol to-go could be here to stay for Florida restaurants
- Families of sailors killed in NAS Pensacola attack receive Purple Hearts
- Here's where to see Christmas lights around Tampa Bay
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter