An order for prednisolone reads 10 mg four times a day. The dose for the child is 2 mg/kg/day. How many pounds does the child weigh?

Appeared in: AIIMS Nagpur NO- 2020

Explanation

derived by first calculating the total daily dose of prednisolone administered, which is 10 mg multiplied by 4, equaling 40 mg/day.
Next, the child's weight in kilograms is found by dividing the total daily dose (40 mg/day) by the prescribed dose per kilogram (2 mg/kg/day), which results in 20 kg.
Finally, the weight in kilograms is converted to pounds by multiplying by the conversion factor of 2.2 (20 kg × 2.2 lbs/kg), which equals 44 pounds.

Option A: This weight would result from an incorrect calculation, possibly by using a wrong conversion factor or making an error in the initial steps.
Option B: This might be chosen if one incorrectly assumes the weight in kg is 40 or uses a conversion factor of 1.0 instead of 2.2.
Option C: This value could be obtained through a miscalculation, perhaps by incorrectly multiplying or dividing the numbers provided.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Pediatric Dosage Calculation to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Accurate dosage calculation is a critical nursing responsibility to ensure patient safety and prevent medication errors, especially in the pediatric population where small errors can have significant consequences.
Nurses must be proficient in converting between units of measurement, particularly kilograms and pounds, as medication dosages are almost always based on metric units (mg/kg).
What if the order was for 15 mg twice a day? The total daily dose would be 30 mg. The child's weight would then be 15 kg (30 mg / 2 mg/kg), which converts to 33 lbs (15 kg * 2.2).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify all the given information: the dose per administration (10 mg), the frequency (four times a day), and the recommended dose based on weight (2 mg/kg/day).
Calculate the total amount of medication the child receives in one full day (24 hours).
Use the total daily dose and the recommended mg/kg/day dose to calculate the child's weight in kilograms.
Convert the weight from kilograms to pounds using the standard conversion factor (1 kg = 2.2 lbs).
Compare your final calculated answer to the given options to find the correct choice.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Pediatric Dosage Calculation
Stem keywords: prednisolone, 10 mg, four times a day, 2 mg/kg/day, pounds
Lead-in keywords: How many
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 1 p. 55-57

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 3 p. 142-144

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