A nurse is preparing to administer sucralfate 80 mg/kg/day to divide into four doses per day to a child who weighs 35 kg.
The amount available is sucralfate oral suspension 1 g/10 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
To calculate the correct dosage of sucralfate for a child who weighs 35 kg, we need to follow a step-by-step approach.
Step 1: Calculate the total daily dosage
The prescribed dosage of sucralfate is 80 mg/kg/day. To find the total daily dosage for the child, we multiply the weight of the child by the dosage:Total daily dosage=80 mg/kg×35 kg=2800 mg\text{Total daily dosage} = 80 \, \text{mg/kg} \times 35 \, \text{kg} = 2800 \, \text{mg}Total daily dosage=80mg/kg×35kg=2800mg
Step 2: Divide the total daily dosage into four doses
Since the medication is to be administered in four doses per day, we need to divide the total daily dosage by four:Dosage per dose=2800 mg4=700 mg\text{Dosage per dose} = \frac{2800 \, \text{mg}}{4} = 700 \, \text{mg}Dosage per dose=42800mg=700mg
Step 3: Convert the dosage from mg to mL
The available sucralfate suspension concentration is 1 g/10 mL. We need to convert this to mg/mL to facilitate our calculations:1 g=1000 mg ⟹ 1000 mg10 mL=100 mg/mL1 \, \text{g} = 1000 \, \text{mg} \implies \frac{1000 \, \text{mg}}{10 \, \text{mL}} = 100 \, \text{mg/mL}1g=1000mg⟹10mL1000mg=100mg/mL
Step 4: Calculate the volume to administer
Now, we can determine how many mL of the suspension are needed for a dose of 700 mg. We will use the concentration we just calculated:Volume (mL)=Dosage per dose (mg)Concentration (mg/mL)\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Dosage per dose (mg)}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}Volume (mL)=Concentration (mg/mL)Dosage per dose (mg) Volume (mL)=700 mg100 mg/mL=7 mL\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{700 \, \text{mg}}{100 \, \text{mg/mL}} = 7 \, \text{mL}Volume (mL)=100mg/mL700mg=7mL
Final Calculation
Thus, the nurse should administer 7 mL of sucralfate per dose.
Conclusion
Administering the correct dosage is crucial for effective treatment and patient safety. By following this systematic approach—calculating total daily dosage, dividing by the number of doses, converting units, and finally calculating the volume—the nurse ensures accurate medication administration. This is especially important in pediatric care, where dosages must be tailored to the child’s weight to avoid underdosing or overdosing.