Question

A child is having difficulty with constipation; the physician would rather prescribe a stool softener than give the child a laxative. The order for the child, who weighs 46 lb, is to be based on the adult dose of 100 mg/kg/day at bedtime. The physician orders 1gm po qd.

Answer 1

The physician prescribes a stool softener instead of a laxative for a child experiencing constipation. The child's weight is used to calculate the appropriate dosage of the medication. The prescribed dose of 1gm (1000 mg) per day is within the calculated range and should be taken by mouth once a day.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this scenario, the subject of the question is Medicine and the grade level is College. The physician wants to prescribe a stool softener instead of a laxative to help with the child's constipation. The order is based on the adult dose of 100 mg/kg/day at bedtime. To calculate the correct dosage for the child, we need to determine the child's weight in kilograms.

First, let's convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms:

1. 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg (conversion factor)
2. 46 lb * 0.45359237 kg = 20.865 kg (weight in kilograms)

Now, we can calculate the child's dose:

1. Dose = 100 mg/kg/day (adult dose)
2. Dose = 100 mg * 20.865 kg = 2086.5 mg/day (child dose)

The physician has ordered 1gm (1000 mg) per day for the child, so the prescribed dose of 1000 mg is within the calculated range. The child should take the prescribed stool softener of 1gm po qd (by mouth, once a day) to help with constipation.