Question

Drug Dosage. The label on a particular drug recommends 75-150 mg ofthe drug per kilogram of body weight per day. A doctor prescribes 200 mgof the drug every 8 hours for a 20-pound child. Is the prescription withinthe guidelines?

Answer 1

220mg, per 8 hours, for a 20 lb child

step 1) There are 24 hours a day, so if the medication is given every 8 hours, he's getting 3 doses, so multiply 200mg * 3 to get the dosage in mg/day

step 2) Weight of the child: 1 lb = 0.453 kg so 20 lb = 20 * 0.453kg

Step 3) Divide dosage from step 1 by weight in step 2 to get mg drug/kg weight. check to see if it's within the 75-150 range or not.