A primary healthcare provider prescribes 2 mg/kg of pyrimethamine to a child with severe drooling. A nurse finds that the child weighs 44 lbs. Upon seeing the drug label, the nurse finds that 5 mL of medication contains 1 mg of the drug.
What should the nurse do to provide safe medication to the child?
Administer 1 cup of medication to the child
Administer 1 tsp of medication to the child
Administer 0.8 mg of medication to the child
Administer 2 mL of medication to the child
The Correct Answer is D
This answer is correct because it is based on a series of unit conversions and calculations. The nurse should follow these steps to provide safe medication to the child:
1) Convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2, since there are 2.2 lbs in 1 kg. The child weighs 20 kg.
2) Multiply the prescribed dose per kilogram by the child's weight in kilograms to get the total dose in milligrams. The child needs 40 mg of pyrimethamine.
3) Use the ratio given on the drug label to convert the total dose in milligrams to the volume in milliliters. The nurse can set up a proportion as follows:
1 mg / 5 mL = 40 mg / x mL
Cross-multiplying and solving for x gives:
x = 200 mL
Therefore, the nurse should administer 200 mL of medication to deliver 40 mg of pyrimethamine to the child.
4) Convert the volume in milliliters to the volume in teaspoons by dividing by 5, since there are 5 mL in 1 tsp. The nurse should administer 40 tsp of medication to the child.
5) Convert the volume in teaspoons to the volume in cups by dividing by 48, since there are 48 tsp in 1 cup. The nurse should administer 0.83 cups of medication to the child.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
This instruction should be given to the patient for the effective management of asthma because the patient is taking an overdose of ipratropium, which may cause serious side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, or increased heart rate. The recommended dosage of ipratropium for adults with acute asthma is 0.5 mg (500 mcg) every 20 minutes for three doses, followed by 0.5 mg every two to four hours as needed³. The patient's prescribed dose is 5 mg/kg, which means 300 mg/day for a 60 kg patient. This is 10 times the maximum daily dose of 2 mg (2000 mcg) for ipratropium⁴. Therefore, the patient should halve the dose of medication to 150 mg/day, which is still higher than the usual dosage, but within the range that can be given under medical supervision.
The other options are not appropriate instructions because:
a) Continuing the same dose of medication may worsen the patient's condition and increase the risk of adverse reactions.
b) Changing to alternative medication may not be necessary or effective, as ipratropium is a commonly used bronchodilator for asthma that works by relaxing the airway muscles and improving airflow⁵. The patient may benefit from adjusting the dose or adding other medications, such as corticosteroids or beta-agonists, depending on the severity and frequency of symptoms.
c) Doubling the dose of medication may be dangerous and potentially fatal, as it may cause severe anticholinergic effects, such as dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, increased heart rate, confusion, or coma.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
One inch is equal to **2.54 centimeters**²³⁴. To convert inches to centimeters, you can multiply the value in inches by 2.54. For example, 2.54 centimeters x 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters.
Therefore, to convert 2.54 centimeters to inches, you can divide the value in centimeters by 2.54. For example, 2.54 centimeters / 2.54 = 1 inch.
The answer is **1 inch**.
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