A nurse is preparing to administer somatropin 0.24 mg/kg/week subcutaneously to be divided into six daily doses to a school-age child who weighs 66 lb. How many mg should the nurse administer per dose?

(Round the answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

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.

Choice A rationale:

Renal excretion time slows for medication. As people age, kidney function gradually decreases, which slows the excretion of medications. This can lead to increased levels of the drug in the body, which can increase the risk of side effects.

Choice B rationale:

Hepatic enzymes do not process medications more rapidly in older adults. In fact, liver function also decreases with age, which can slow the metabolism of medications.

Choice C rationale:

Brain receptors do not become less sensitive to medications in older adults. The sensitivity of brain receptors to medications can vary widely and is not necessarily related to age.

Choice D rationale:

Gastric emptying rate does not increase with age. On the contrary, it often slows down, which can affect the absorption of some medications.