Question

1. a nurse is preparing to administer methimazole 300 mcg/k po divided in equal doses every 6 hrs to a school age child wi weighs 55 lb. available is methimazole 5 mg tablets. how mar tablets should the nurse administer per dose? (round answer to the nearest tenth)

Explanation:

Step1: Convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms

Since \(1\) kg \( = 2.2\) lb, the weight \(W\) in kilograms is \(W=\frac{55}{2.2}=25\) kg.

Step2: Calculate the total daily dose

The dose is \(300\) mcg/kg. For a \(25\) - kg child, the total daily dose \(D_{total}\) (in mcg) is \(D_{total}=300\times25 = 7500\) mcg. Since \(1\) mg \(= 1000\) mcg, \(7500\) mcg \(=7.5\) mg.

Step3: Determine the number of doses per day

The doses are every \(6\) hours. There are \(24\) hours in a day, so the number of doses \(n\) per day is \(n=\frac{24}{6}=4\).

Step4: Calculate the dose per administration

The dose per administration \(D_{per}\) (in mg) is \(D_{per}=\frac{7.5}{4}=1.875\) mg.

Step5: Calculate the number of tablets per dose

Each tablet is \(5\) mg. Let the number of tablets \(x\) per dose. Using the formula \(x=\frac{D_{per}}{5}\), we have \(x=\frac{1.875}{5}=0.375\approx0.4\) (rounded to the nearest tenth).

Answer:

\(0.4\)