Question

As children grow, dosages for medications gradually approach those for adults. Clark’s rule is often used to determine the correct dosage for children.

Child’s dose = Adult dose x (Weight of child in pounds)/(150 pounds)

What dosage should be administered to a child weighing 28 pounds if the adult dose of a certain drug is 80 milligrams? Round your answer to the nearest whole milligram.
How much would a child have to weigh to receive the adult dosage? Explain why your answer is reasonable.

Answer 1

A child weighing 28 pounds would have to take 15 milligrams of medicine in order to receive and adequate dose, if the adult dosage is 80 milligrams. For the child to receive the full adult dosage of 80 milligrams, the child would have to weigh 150 pounds.