Question

A nurse is preparing a dose of amoxicillin for a 3-year-old child with acute otitis media. The child weighs 33 lb. The dosage ordered is 50 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours. The concentration of the drug is 250 mg/5 ml. How many milliliters should the nurse administer? Record your answer using a whole number.

a) 7 ml
b) 10 ml
c) 15 ml
d) 20 ml

Answer 1

To calculate the amount of amoxicillin to administer, convert the weight to kg, multiply by the dosage, divide by the number of doses, and calculate the ml based on the concentration.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the amount of amoxicillin the nurse should administer, we need to follow these steps:

1. Convert the weight of the child from pounds to kilograms. Since 1 kg is approximately 2.2 lb, dividing 33 lb by 2.2 gives us 15 kg.
2. Multiply the weight in kg by the prescribed dosage of 50 mg/kg/day. 15 kg x 50 mg/kg/day = 750 mg/day.
3. Divide the total daily dosage by the number of doses per day to determine the amount for each dose. The prescription specifies divided doses every 8 hours, so 750 mg/day ÷ 3 doses = 250 mg/dose.
4. Finally, we need to calculate how many milliliters of the 250 mg/5 ml concentration of amoxicillin should be given. Since one dose is 250 mg, divide 250 mg by 250 mg/5 ml to get 5 ml.

Therefore, the nurse should administer 5 ml of amoxicillin to the child.