A physician orders Dobutamine 10 mcg/kg/min for a patient. The patient is 110 lb.

How many milligrams per hour should the patient receive?

Dextrose 50%, add 1 mL to 4 mL injectable saline. To obtain 5 mL of 10% dextrose, 0.5 mL of the 50% dextrose should be diluted with 4.5 mL of sterile water or normal saline. Therefore, the nurse should add 1 mL of the 50% dextrose to 4 mL of injectable saline to get a final concentration of 10% dextrose in 5 mL. This will give the client the appropriate dose.

Choice B is incorrect because adding 2 mL of the 50% dextrose to 3 mL of saline would give a final concentration of 20%, which is higher than the prescribed concentration of 10%.

Choice C is incorrect because adding 3 mL of the 50% dextrose to 2 mL of saline would give a final concentration of 30%, which is significantly higher than the prescribed concentration of 10%.

Choice D is incorrect because adding 4 mL of the 50% dextrose to 1 mL of saline would give a final concentration of 40%, which is much higher than the prescribed concentration of 10%.

This is the most commonly used method for calculating pediatric doses, especially for medications that are weight-based. The pediatric dose is typically calculated as a fraction or percentage of the adult dose based on the child's weight. For example, if the adult dose is 100mg and the child weighs 50kg, the child's dose may be calculated as 50mg (50% of the adult dose). Actual body weight takes into account the child's current weight, which can be an important factor in determining the appropriate dose.

Reasons why the other choices are not answers:

A. Body surface area is a method for calculating pediatric doses, but it is typically used for medications that are associated with toxicity or have a narrow therapeutic index.

C. Ideal body weight is an estimate of what a person's weight should be based on their height and gender, rather than their actual weight. It may be used in situations where a child is significantly overweight or underweight, but it is rarely used for pediatric dosing.

D. Actual body height is rarely used for pediatric dosing, as it does not take into account the child's weight or other important factors. It may be used in certain situations, such as when dosing growth hormone therapy.