A 6-year-old child who has chickenpox also has a fever of 102.9 F (39.4 C). The child’s mother asks the nurse if she should use aspirin to reduce the fever.
What is the best response by the nurse?

The correct answer is Choice D.

Let’s go through the calculations step by step:

Step 1: Convert all the quantities to milliliters (mL), as the nurse needs to record the intake in mL. We know that 1 oz is approximately 29.5735 mL.

4 oz of juice = 4 × 29.5735 mL = 118.294 mL

6 oz of tea = 6 × 29.5735 mL = 177.861 mL 8 oz of broth = 8 × 29.5735 mL = 236.628 mL Step 2: Add all the quantities together:

118.294 mL (juice) + 177.861 mL (tea) + 100 mL (soda) + 150 mL (IV bolus) + 236.628 mL (broth) = 783.783 mL Step 3: Round off the total intake to the nearest whole number as required, which gives us 784 mL.

Therefore, the nurse should record 784 mL on the patient’s chart. However, this option is not available in the choices given. The closest option to this calculated value is 800 mL (Choice D).

Now, let’s discuss the rationales for each choice:

Choice A rationale:

500 mL would be an underestimate of the patient’s fluid intake. It does not account for all the fluids the patient consumed.

Choice B rationale:

600 mL, similar to Choice A, is an underestimate. It does not accurately represent the total volume of fluids the patient consumed. Choice C rationale:

700 mL is closer to the calculated intake but is still an underestimate. It does not fully account for all the fluids the patient consumed.

Choice D rationale:

800 mL is the closest option to the calculated intake of 784 mL. Although it’s slightly over the actual intake, it’s the best choice among the given options.

Choice A rationale:

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used extensively for the treatment of gastric acid-related disorders, often over the long term, which raises the potential for clinically significant drug interactions in patients receiving concomitant medications.

However, there is no specific mention of a significant interaction between PPIs and aminoglycosides.

Choice B rationale:

Aminoglycoside antibiotics and calcium channel blockers can interact at the neuromuscular junctions. This interaction is of clinical significance because when these agents are given concurrently during the perioperative period they may lead to respiratory depression or prolonged apnea. However, this is not directly related to the therapeutic effect of aminoglycosides, but rather a side effect of their combined use.

Choice C rationale:

The loop-diuretics (ethacrynic acid, furosemide, bumetamide) and aminoglycoside antibiotics (kanamycin, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, etc.) are important drugs frequently used to treat seriously ill patients. Not uncommonly both types of drugs are given to the same patient exposing that patient to the risk of a hearing loss (ototoxicity)5. In addition, the risk of ototoxicity could be enhanced by the concomitant use of loop diuretics and aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Choice D rationale:

Phenytoin is a medication used to treat seizures. It has a complex pharmacokinetic profile and can interact with many other drugs. However, there is no specific mention of a significant interaction between phenytoin and aminoglycosides.