The Harriet Lane Handbook: The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Clinical reference
A compact pediatric bedside reference used for dosing checks, admission orders, and cross-coverage questions.
Last editorial review: 2026-02-24
Editorial note
Discover The Harriet Lane Handbook, the trusted medical guide from Johns Hopkins Hospital, offering pediatric care information for healthcare professionals and students.
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Best fit use cases
- Residents and students needing rapid pediatric dose and management references.
- Cross-cover and overnight teams validating common inpatient pediatric decisions.
- Clinicians who want a portable backup to EHR order sets and local protocols.
Why teams use this reference
- Broad pediatric scope in one reference (medications, labs, procedures, and pathways).
- Fast bedside lookup format that supports time-pressured decision making.
- Useful teaching companion when explaining rationale to trainees.
Before you rely on it
- Does not replace local formulary constraints or institution-specific protocols.
- Edition recency matters; verify updates for rapidly changing practice areas.
Related PedsCalc routes
Reference adoption workflow
- Confirm the product fits your setting and patient population before purchase.
- Cross-check one representative dosing scenario against local policy and formulary rules.
- Document where this reference will be used (bedside, teaching, discharge counseling).
- Set a cadence to re-verify edition recency and update status.
- Escalate discrepancies to local protocol leads before relying on conflicting guidance.
Escalation checks before clinical reliance
- Reference recommendations conflict with local policy or formulary limits.
- Edition age suggests potential mismatch with current pediatric safety guidance.
- Complex comorbidity scenario not clearly covered by the product content.
- High-stakes dosing decision depends on a single source without independent confirmation.
FAQs
Clinicians and trainees who need rapid pediatric bedside references across common inpatient and outpatient scenarios.
No. Use it as a cross-check tool, then defer to your local protocols, formulary, and specialist guidance.
Review edition updates regularly, especially if you rely on the handbook for dosing and protocol-sensitive decisions.