Question

A nurse is teaching nursing students about pediatric medication administration. What will the nurse include when discussing pediatric drug research?

1) Early studies revealed that less than 10% of pediatric medications have been tested for safety and efficacy.
2) Research findings show that drug doses may be safely calculated by extrapolating adult dosing.
3) Studies showed a significant percentage of unanticipated and potentially lethal side effects in children.
4) There is no need to continue with pediatric-specific drug research, since early studies were reassuring.

Answer 1

Pediatric drug research is essential due to the unique physiological responses of children to medications, the historically low percentage of tested pediatric drugs, and the potential for serious side effects. Nurses must understand that pediatric drug dosing often requires body mass-based calculations and that direct extrapolation from adult dosing is not suitable.

Step-by-step explanation:

Pediatric Drug Research:

In discussing pediatric medication administration, a nurse should address certain key points about pediatric drug research. First, historical data shows that a small percentage of pediatric medications underwent proper testing for safety and efficacy, indicating a significant gap in pediatric pharmacology knowledge. This is critical to understand, considering option 1 suggests that early studies found less than 10% of pediatric medications had been tested for safety and efficacy.

Research has also demonstrated that children may experience unexpected and potentially dangerous side effects, as indicated in option 3. This contradicts the claim in option 4, that pediatric-specific drug research is unnecessary. Correct pediatric dosing is critical since adult doses cannot simply be extrapolated, refuting the claim in option 2. Pediatric doses are typically based on the child's body mass, unlike standard adult doses, which demand more nuanced research and testing. Furthermore, developmental differences in metabolism and excretion in pediatric populations necessitate tailored pharmacokinetic studies and highlight the importance of ongoing drug evaluation post-marketing.