Pediatric Medication Practice Problems
UNRS 314
Converting Pounds to Kilograms
1.
2.
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6.
7.
30 lb = _____________
15 lb 5 oz = _________
7 ¼ lb = ____________
22 lb = _____________
4 lb 5 oz = __________
75 lb = _____________
10 ½ lbs = __________
Answers:
1. 13.63 kg 2. 15.31 lb = 6.95 kg 3. 7.25 lb = 3.29 kg 4. 10 kg
5. 4.31 lb = 1.95 kg 6. 34.09 kg 7. 6.5 lb or 2.95 kg
NOTE DO NOT ROUND OR YOUR ANSWER WILL BE MARKED WRONG
Problem 1
Child weighs 33 lbs
Physician order: Augmentin 150 mg po q 8 hours
Information from drug guide: children < 40 kg receive 6.7 to 13.3 mg/kg q 8 hours
Convert 33 lbs to kg ________
Calculate low and high dose _______ low dose
Is the dose in the safe range?
_______ high dose
___________
The medication comes Augmentin 125 mg / 5 mL
How many mL would you need to draw up to equal 150 mg? _________
Answer problem 1:
15 kg
Low dose 100.5 mg (6.7 x 15 kg)
High dose 199.5 mg (13.3 x 15 kg)
Safe range (100.5 mg to 199.5 mg) 150 mg is a safe dose.
You would give 6 mL
Calculation
125 mg = 150 mg
5 mL
x mL
750
125 x
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Problem 2
Child weighs 16 lb 10 oz
Physician order: Lasix 15 mg po bid
Information from drug guide:
The initial dose of Lasix (furosemide) for infants or children is 2 mg / kg / dose.
If initial dose works dosage may be increased to 1 or 2 mg / kg / dose (maintenance
dose).
Doses greater than 6 mg / kg / day are not recommended.
Convert 16 lb 10 oz to kg ________
Calculate initial and high dose _______ initial dose _______ high dose
Is the dose in the safe range?
___________
The medication comes: Furosemide 10 mg/mL
How many mL would you need to draw up to equal 15 mg? _________
Answer Problem 2
16.62 pounds to 7.556 kg or 7.56 kg
Single dose of Lasix 7.56 kg x 2 mg = 15.12 mg/dose
High range daily dose 7.56 kg x 6 mg = 45.36 mg/dose
Is the dosage of 15 mg bid or 30 mg / day safe? = yes
How many mL? 1.5 mL
Calculation: 10 mg = 15 mg
1 mL
x mL
Problem 3
Child weighs 66 lbs
Physician order: Epinephrine 0.3mg sub q x 1 dose for allergic reaction
Information from drug guide: 0.01 mg/kg every 20 minutes as needed. Not to exceed 0.5
mg in a single dose.
Convert 66 lbs to kg ________
Calculate low and high dose _______ low dose
Is the dose in the safe range? ___________
The medication comes epinephrine 1 mg / mL
_______ high dose
How many mL would you need to draw up to equal the minimum or low dose?
_________
2
Answer 3
Weight in kg: 30 kg
Low dose 0.3 mg high dose 0.5 mg
Is dose safe? Yes
0.3 mg = 0.3 mL
NOTE: .3 mL would be marked wrong – you need to always put zero before a
decimal in drug calculations.
Fluid Calculations
100 mL x 1st 10 kg
50 mL x 2nd 10 kg
20 mL x any additional kg
Practice problems
Weight 22 lb to ___________kg ___________ 24 hour maintenance fluids
___________ 1 ½ times maintenance
Weight 12 lb to ____________kg ____________ 24 hour maintenance fluids
____________ 1 ½ times maintenance
Weight 6 lb 4 oz ___________kg ____________ 24 hour maintenance fluids
____________ 1 ½ times maintenance
Weight 75 lb to ____________kg ____________ 24 hour maintenance fluids
____________ 1 ½ times maintenance
Weight 42 lb to ____________kg ____________ 24 hour maintenance fluids
____________ 1 ½ times maintenance
Answers:
22 lb to 10 kg (10 x 100 mL = 1000 mL) 1000 mL / 24 hour (1000 x 1.5 = 1500 mL)
1500 mL / 24 hour for 1 ½ maintenance fluids.
12 lb to 5.45 kg (5.45 x 100 mL = 545 mL) 545 / 24 hour (545 x 1.5 = 818 mL) or 818
mL / 24 hour for 1 ½ maintenance fluids.
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6 lb 4 oz to 6.25 lb to 2.84 kg (2.84 x 100 mL = 284 ml) 284 mL / 24 hours (284 x 1.5 =
426 mL) 426 mL / 24 hour for 1 ½ maintenance fluids.
75 lb = 34 kg
100 mL x 10 kg = 1000 mL
50 mL x 10 kg = 500 mL
20 mL x 14 kg = 280 mL
1780 mL / 24 hours or 74 mL / hour
1 ½ times maintenance would be (1780 x 1.5 = 2670) 2670 mL / 24 hours or 112 mL /
hour.
42 lb to 19.09 kg
100 mL x 10 kg = 1000 mL
50 mL x 9.09 kg = 454 mL
1454 mL / 24 hours or 61 mL / hour
Parenteral Pediatric Medications
1. Order: ampicillin 100 mg IV q 6 hours
Weight: 9 lbs 6 ounces
Drug guide: safe dose 75 to 200 mg /kg/24 hours
Concentration of IV use: 50 mg/mL over 10 to 30 minutes
Supplied as: vial of powder 500 mg. Directions: add 1.8 mL of sterile water to
makes 250 mg / mL
Questions:
Pounds to kg ___________
Safe dose: low range __________ high range _________
Dose q 6 hours ______________ mg
Minimum safe dilution ____________
How many mL would you draw up from the re-constituted vial of ampicillin ________
Inject the ampicillin into the volutrol and fill to 10mL.
What would you need to set the pump at to deliver the 10 mL of medication + the 20 mL
of flush over 30 minutes? ____________________
Answers:
1. 9 lb 6oz = 4.259 or 4.26 kg
Safe dose for 24 hours: low range (4.26 x 75 mg) 319.5 mg
high range (4.26 x 200 mg) 852 mg
Safe dose for q 6 hour: low range 319.5 / 4 = 79.8 mg
high range 852 /4 = 214 mg
4
100 mg per dose would be a safe dose.
Minimum safe dilution would be 100 / 50 = 2 mL
How many mL would you draw up from the re-constituted vial of ampicillin?
250 mg = 100 mg 100
1mL
x mL
250 x You would draw up 0.4 mL of solution from the vial to
equal 100 mg of ampicillin.
The ampicillin 0.4 mL would be injected into the volutrol and fill to 10 mL with IV
solution. 10 mL of medication followed by 20 mL flush would equal to 30 mL to be
infused over 30 minutes. The pump would need to be set at 60 mL/hr.
2.
Infant 6 months; weight 17 lbs 6 oz
Order: Cefuroxime 185 mg IV q 6 hr in 10 mL
Drug Guide: Safe dose is 50 to 100 mg/kg/24 hours. Medication can be safely infused
over 30 minutes.
Medication supplied as: 750 mg vial of powder. Directions: dilute with 8 mL sterile water
to 90 mg / mL.
Weight in kg_____________
Safe range: low __________ and high _________________
Is this a safe dose? _______
How much medication do you need to draw up from the vial? __________ mL
You put the cefuroxime in the volutrol with 10mL of IV solution. Remembering the 20
mL flush. What would you need to set the pump at mL/hr to get the medication and flush
in over 30 minutes? _____________
Answer to question 2
Weight 17.375 lb = 7.89 kg
Safe range: low range 394.5 mg high range 789 mg divided by 4 = low range 98 kg to
high range 197.25
Safe dose? Yes
Draw up 90 mg = 38 mg
185
1mL
x mL
90x = 2.05 mL
How fast would you set the pump to infuse medication followed by the flush in 30
minutes? 60 mL/hour
NG – cc/cc replacement every 4 hours.
1.
NG output recorded by the night nurse is 176 mL. The maintenance IV is
infusing at 90 mL/hour. How much fluid would you infuse over the next four hours
_______
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2.
NG output recorded over the next 4 hours is 125 mL. The maintenance IV is
infusing at 90 mL/hour. How much fluid would you infuse over the next four hours
_________.
Answers:
1.
176 divided by 4 = 44 mL. Add to 90 mL per hour rate to equal 134 mL/hr to
infuse over the next 4 hours.
2.
125 divided by 4 = 31.25 or 31. Add to 90 mL per hour rate to equal 121
mL/hr to infuse over the next 4 hours.
REMEMBER:
 Grains, grams, milligrams, micrograms
 Teaspoons, tablespoons and ounces
 Liquid medication calculations
 Practice problems on my web site
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