Question

A parent calls the outpatient clinic requesting information about the appropriate dosage of acetaminophen for a 16-month-old child. the directions on the bottle of acetaminophen elixir are 120 mg every 4 hours when needed. at the toddler's 15-month visit, the healthcare provider prescribed 150 mg. what is the best response by the nurse

Answer 1

The dosage of acetaminophen or paracetamol for pediatric patients is computed by the weight of the patient. The correct answer is "The prescribed dosage was based on weight and this is the more accurate way of determining a therapeutic dose". First of all, if the weight of the patient is not measured, then there is no way that the healthcare provider can give a drug without overdosing or underdosing the patient. The ideal average weight of a 16 month old child is around 10 kg wherein the dosage of paracetamol is 10-15 mg/kg/dose. The most probable estimated dose in this age is 100 to 150 mg per dose. While the dosage was right for the patient, the incorrect part here is that the patient's weight should have been measured because every patient is unique and may not fall to ideal weight etc.

Answer 2

The nurse ordered the amount of drug based on weight, instead of being based on age.

The most specific and correct way to determine children’s dosage is based on a specific dose per kilogram of body weight. This will allow the drug to have a therapeutic effect. Being based on age is not accurate because not every child with the same age has the same weight.