Final answer:
Primary care providers use body surface area, age, weight, developmental level, and drug properties to prescribe dosages for children. These factors help ensure that the dosage is safe and effective for treating the child, tailored to their specific needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Primary care providers prescribe drug dosages for children using the following information:
- Body surface area (BSA) - BSA is often used in medical settings to help assess the dosage of drugs for various treatments, especially chemotherapy, which is tailored to the size of the patient's body.
- Age - This is used to gauge the maturity of the patient's organs, which can affect drug metabolism and excretion.
- Weight - Dosage may be adjusted based on the child's weight to ensure safety and efficacy; a common method is dosing per kilogram of body weight.
- Developmental level - This can influence how a child metabolizes and responds to medication.
- Drug properties - This includes how the drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body. Properties such as solubility, stability, and concentration all play a role in how it should be dosed.
Other considerations when determining drug dosage include the ADME process (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), potential side effects, individual medical history, and the presence of conditions that could modify the effects of the drug.