A toddler who weighs 6.5 kg receives a prescription for medication with a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day PO in equal doses every 12 hours. How many mg should the nurse administer with each dose? (Enter numerical value. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)
The Correct Answer is ["1.6"]
Pediatric medication administration requires extreme precision because dosage is typically calculated based on the child's weight (mg/kg) rather than a standard adult dose. Because children have different metabolic rates and smaller volumes of distribution, even minor errors in calculation or rounding can lead to sub-therapeutic levels or toxicity.
Rationale:
Step 1: Calculate total daily dose
Total daily dose (mg/day) = Weight × Dose per kg/day
= 6.5 × 0.5
= 3.25 mg/day
Step 2: Determine dose per administration
Medication is given every 12 hours = 2 doses/day
Dose per dose = 3.25 ÷ 2
= 1.625 mg
Step 3: Round to the nearest tenth
≈ 1.6 mg
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["12.5"]
Explanation
Brief introduction:
Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotic commonly used to treat various bacterial infections. Accurate dosage calculation for oral suspensions is a fundamental nursing skill, particularly when the prescription is written in grams (g) but the medication on hand is labeled in milligrams (mg). To ensure patient safety, the nurse must first standardize the units of measurement and then determine the volume (mL) for each individual dose based on the frequency of administration.
Rationale:
Step 1: Convert grams to milligrams
1.5 g = 1500 mg/day
Step 2: Determine number of doses per day
Every 8 hours = 3 doses/day
Step 3: Calculate dose per administration
1500 mg ÷ 3 = 500 mg per dose
Step 4: Determine concentration
200 mg per 5 mL
Step 5: Set up proportion
500 mg × (5 mL ÷ 200 mg)
Step 6: Calculate
= (500 ÷ 200) × 5
= 2.5 × 5
= 12.5 mL
Correct Answer is ["100"]
Explanation
Brief introduction:
Surgical prophylaxis with antibiotics like cefazolin is a standard clinical practice designed to reduce the risk of surgical site infections. To ensure therapeutic tissue levels at the time of the initial incision, the medication must be timed and dosed accurately. Dosing is weight-dependent to account for the volume of distribution, particularly in larger patients.
Rationale:
Step 1: Convert weight to pounds
90 kg × 2.2 = 198 lb
Step 2: Determine correct protocol
198 lb is less than 265.5 lb, so use:
2 g cefazolin in 100 mL over 1 hour
Step 3: Identify formula
mL/hr = total volume ÷ time
Step 4: Insert values
= 100 mL ÷ 1 hr
Step 5: Calculate
= 100 mL/hr
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