A child who weighs 66 pounds receives a prescription for amoxicillin 80 mg/kg/day by mouth in divided doses every 12 hours. How many mg should the nurse administer with each dose? (Enter numerical value only.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To calculate the dose:
- Convert pounds to kilograms (since the dosage is given in mg/kg):
- 66 pounds ÷ 2.2 = 30 kg
- Calculate the total daily dose:
- 80 mg/kg/day × 30 kg = 2400 mg/day
- Since the medication is to be given in divided doses every 12 hours (twice a day), divide the total daily dose by 2:
- 2400 mg/day ÷ 2 = 1200 mg per dose
The correct answer is 1200 mg per dose.
Explanation:
In pediatric dosing, it is crucial to calculate medication doses based on body weight to ensure safety and efficacy. Here, the prescription specifies a dose of 80 mg/kg/day of amoxicillin. When a child’s weight is given in pounds, it needs to be converted to kilograms (kg) because the dosage is calculated per kilogram of body weight.
After converting 66 pounds to kilograms (30 kg), the next step is to determine the total amount of amoxicillin the child should receive in one day. The formula is:
[
\text{Daily dose} = 80 \, \text{mg/kg} \times \text{weight in kg}
]
For a 30-kg child, the daily dose is 2400 mg. Since the prescription indicates the medication is to be administered every 12 hours (i.e., two doses per day), the total daily dose is divided by 2 to get the amount per dose.
The nurse should administer 1200 mg of amoxicillin every 12 hours. This calculation ensures that the child receives the appropriate therapeutic amount while minimizing the risk of underdosing or overdosing, both of which could compromise treatment outcomes and safety. Accurate dose calculation is a fundamental responsibility in nursing to optimize patient care.