Question

The student nurse asks whether there are any precautions to observe when giving digoxin

to an infant. What medication safety precautions should be observed when giving this
medication?
A. Apical pulse should be taken for one full minute before administration.
B. Hold drug if HR is less than 90 in infants and less than 70 in children or otherwise noted by
physician's orders
C. RN double checks dose before administering. Infant doses are generally 1 mL or less. A higher dose should be considered a dose error.
D. Monitor for s/s of digoxin toxicity such as bradycardia, vomiting, and decrease in oral intake.
E. All the above

Answer 1

Administering digoxin to infants requires careful monitoring of the apical pulse, adherence to specific heart rate thresholds, double-checking of doses by an RN, and monitoring for signs of digoxin toxicity.

Step-by-step explanation:

When administering digoxin to an infant, there are important precautions to ensure medication safety. These precautions include:

• Taking the apical pulse for one full minute before administration.
• Holding the drug if the heart rate (HR) is less than 90 in infants and less than 70 in children or as directed by physician's orders.
• An RN double checking the dose before administering, as infant doses are generally 1 mL or less. Any dose higher should be considered a potential dose error.
• Monitoring for signs and symptoms of digoxin toxicity such as bradycardia, vomiting, and decreased oral intake.

All these precautions (A, B, C, D) help minimize the risk of side effects while ensuring the effectiveness of the drug, and so the correct answer is E, which encompasses all of the above safety precautions.