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.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Interesting textures may intrigue older infants but can overwhelm new eaters, risking rejection. Bland foods are better tolerated initially, making this less suitable and incorrect compared to the nurse’s focus on foods infants accept best when introducing solids in the class.
Choice B reason: Well-heated foods risk burns and aren’t preferred by infants, who tolerate room-temperature or slightly warm foods. Bland flavors are more acceptable, making this incorrect, as it doesn’t address the taste preference infants respond to best when starting solid foods in the diet.
Choice C reason: Bland foods are gentle on infants’ sensitive palates, encouraging acceptance when introducing solids. This aligns with pediatric nutrition guidelines for transitioning diets, making it the correct factor for the nurse to highlight in teaching parents about starting solid foods for infants.
Choice D reason: Thickened foods may pose choking risks or be hard to swallow for new eaters. Bland foods are more readily accepted, making this incorrect, as it doesn’t prioritize the flavor profile infants respond to best when introducing solid foods in the parent education class.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Playing together without organization is associative play, more typical of preschoolers, not toddlers, who engage in parallel play. Side-by-side independent play is toddler-specific, making this incorrect, as it misidentifies the developmental play stage of toddlers in the in-service training session.
Choice B reason: Organized group play is cooperative play, seen in older children, not toddlers, who lack the social skills for it. Parallel play side by side is typical, making this incorrect, as it does not reflect the independent nature of toddler play in the nurses’ training.
Choice C reason: Playing apart without group involvement is solitary play, less common in social settings for toddlers, who prefer parallel play. Side-by-side play is more characteristic, making this incorrect compared to the typical toddler behavior of independent play in proximity during the session.
Choice D reason: Toddlers engage in parallel play, playing independently side by side without interaction, a hallmark of their developmental stage. Nurses choosing this example show understanding, aligning with pediatric play theories, making it the correct choice for a successful in-service training on toddler play.
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