A nurse is caring for a client who has been taking epoetin alfa for 3 months.
Which of the following laboratory tests should the nurse monitor to determine the effectiveness of the medication?

To calculate the dose of somatropin to be administered per dose, we first need to convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms. We can do this using the following conversion factor:

1 kg = 2.2 lbs

Therefore, the child's weight in kilograms is:

weight_kg = 66 lbs / 2.2 lbs/kg = 30 kg

Next, we can calculate the total dose of somatropin to be administered per week using the following formula:

total_dose = weight_kg * 0.24 mg/kg/week

This gives us a total dose of:

total_dose = 30 kg * 0.24 mg/kg/week = 7.2 mg/week

Finally, we can calculate the dose of somatropin to be administered per dose by dividing the total dose by the number of daily doses:

dose_per_dose = total_dose / 6 doses/day = 1.2 mg/dose

Therefore, the nurse should administer 1.2 mg of somatropin per dose.

Answer: 1.2 mg of somatropin per dose.

Choice A rationale:

Pinching the tube while connecting the syringe to it could potentially damage the tube and does not aid in medication administration.

Choice B rationale:

Elevating the head of the client’s bed to only 10° may increase the risk of aspiration. The head of the bed should be elevated to at least 30° during medication administration and for at least an hour afterward.

Choice C rationale:

Flushing the tube with normal saline following medication administration helps ensure that all medication has been administered and helps maintain tube patency.

Choice D rationale:

Combining crushed medications together in a single syringe can lead to drug interactions and can also increase the risk of tube clogging. Each medication should be administered separately.