Final answer:
The prescribed 2.5 mg dose of morphine sulfate for a 50 kg child is within the safe pediatric dosage range of 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg/dose, making it a safe dose.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dose of morphine sulfate that has been prescribed is 2.5 mg intravenously for a child who weighs 50 kg. To determine if this dose is safe, we can calculate the dose per kilogram of body weight. The safe pediatric dosage range for morphine is 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg/dose. Thus, for a child that weighs 50 kg, the safe dose would be between 50 kg x 0.05 mg/kg (= 2.5 mg) and 50 kg x 0.1 mg/kg (= 5 mg). Therefore, the prescribed dose of 2.5 mg falls within the safe range, which would make answer c) The dose is within the safe range, the correct choice. It is essential for such calculations to be checked and verified in a clinical setting.