Using the West nomogram scale, the nurse needs to calculate the safe dosage of a medication for a child. The child is 50 inches tall and weighs 76 lb. The normal dosage of the medication for an adult is 300 mg. Which of the following is the correct way to use the West nomogram scale?
Use the “shortcut” scale because this child is average. This will show the nurse the percentage of the adult dosage appropriate for this child. Use this percentage to calculate the dosage.
Locate the child’s height and weight on the nomogram. Use a straight edge to align these numbers with the scale indicating percentage of adult dosage and multiply the adult dosage by this number.
Locate the child’s height and weight on the scale, multiply those two numbers, and divide the adult dosage by the resulting number.
Use the scale to locate the child’s height and weight. Use a straight edge to align these numbers with the scale indicating the surface area, divide that by the average adult body surface area, and multiply the resulting number by the adult dose.
The Correct Answer is D
Choice A reason: The “shortcut” scale is not a standard method for the West nomogram, which calculates body surface area (BSA) for precise dosing. Using BSA ensures accuracy for a 76-lb, 50-inch child, making this simplified approach incorrect for calculating a safe pediatric medication dosage in clinical practice.
Choice B reason: Aligning height and weight to a percentage of adult dosage is not how the West nomogram works; it calculates BSA. The correct method uses BSA relative to adult BSA, making this incorrect, as it skips the critical step of surface area calculation for accurate pediatric dosing.
Choice C reason: Multiplying height and weight and dividing the adult dosage is not a nomogram method. The West nomogram uses BSA to adjust doses, comparing child and adult surface areas, making this mathematically incorrect and inappropriate for calculating a safe pediatric medication dose for the child.
Choice D reason: The West nomogram calculates a child’s BSA using height (50 inches) and weight (76 lb), then divides by the average adult BSA (1.7 m²) to find the proportion of the adult dose (300 mg). This method ensures accurate pediatric dosing, making it the correct choice for safe administration.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Family health history identifies genetic and environmental risk factors, enabling preventive measures to reduce the child’s likelihood of developing similar conditions. This aligns with pediatric health assessment goals, making it the correct explanation for gathering family health history data during the clinical encounter.
Choice B reason: Family history does not force parental behavior changes but informs risk assessment. Suggesting coercion is inaccurate, as the goal is prevention through awareness, making this incorrect compared to identifying risk factors as the primary reason for collecting health history from the parents.
Choice C reason: Needing to know “everything” is overly broad and impractical. Family health history specifically targets relevant risk factors for the child’s health, not all family details, making this vague and incorrect for the focused purpose of gathering targeted medical history during the assessment.
Choice D reason: The number of affected family members informs risk but does not definitively predict the child’s health outcomes. Identifying risk factors for prevention is the broader goal, making this too narrow and incorrect for the primary reason for collecting family health history in pediatric care.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Picking up the child without assessment risks disrupting a potentially critical condition, as quiet lying may indicate pain or altered consciousness. Checking consciousness and pain ensures safety, making this premature and incorrect compared to prioritizing a thorough evaluation of the child’s quiet state.
Choice B reason: Leaving the child in a flexed position assumes no issue without assessing consciousness or pain, which quiet behavior may mask. Evaluating the child’s status is critical, making this passive and incorrect compared to actively checking for underlying issues in the child’s quiet presentation on the bed.
Choice C reason: Checking the level of consciousness and pain scale determines if the child’s quietness indicates distress, pain, or neurological issues, ensuring appropriate care. This aligns with pediatric assessment protocols, making it the correct action to address the child’s condition lying quietly on the bed.
Choice D reason: Assuming the child is sleeping on the parent’s lap is incorrect, as the child is on the bed, and quietness may indicate distress. Assessing consciousness and pain is essential, making this inaccurate and incorrect compared to evaluating the child’s true condition in this scenario.
Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.
Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today
Report Wrong Answer on the Current Question
Do you disagree with the answer? If yes, what is your expected answer? Explain.
Kindly be descriptive with the issue you are facing.