Question

A 42lb child is to receive 5mg/kg of a drug. Each tablet equals 50mg. How many tablets are needed by this child?

Choose one answer.

a. 1 tablet
b. 2 tablets
c. 3 tablets
d. 4 tablets

Answer 1

To calculate the number of tablets needed, divide the total dosage by the dosage per tablet. The child in this case would need to take 2 tablets.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the number of tablets needed by the child, we need to convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms. The child weighs 42 pounds, which is approximately 19.05 kilograms (1 lb = 0.453592 kg). So, the child needs to receive a dosage of 5 mg/kg, which is a total dosage of 95.25 mg
`(5 mg/kg * 19.05 kg)`. Each tablet equals 50 mg, so to calculate the number of tablets needed, we divide the total dosage by the dosage per tablet:

Total number of tablets needed =
`Total dosage/ Dosage per tablet`

Total number of tablets needed =
`95.25 mg / 50 mg`

Total number of tablets needed = 1.905 tablets.

Since we cannot have a fraction of a tablet, the child would need to take 2 tablets. Therefore, the correct answer is 2 tablets (b).