Chapter 6- Life Span- Children
1. A nurse working in a cancer center is preparing to administer medication to a 5-year-old child. The nurse will
... [Show More] calculate the drug dosage by using
A) body surface area.
B) weight.
C) age in months.
D) age in years. Ans: A Feedback:
Body surface area is the external surface of the body expressed in square meters. The ratio of body surface area to weight is inversely proportional to length. Drug calculation using body surface area is more accurate than using the weight of the child alone. The methods of using the child's age in months and years are no longer recommended to calculate drug dosages for pediatric patients.
2. A nurse is administering drugs to a 10-year-old child who has multiple health problems. The child is underweight and is on a special diet. Which of the following will the nurse consider when planning for the best absorption of the prescribed drugs? (Select all that apply.)
A) Age
B) Weight
C) Disease process
D) Diet
E) Route of administration Ans: A, C, D, E
Feedback:
Age, disease process, dosage form, route of administration, and foods and drugs present in the child's body have an effect on drug absorption. Weight is used to calculate the correct dosage to administer and does not affect absorption.
3. A nurse is explaining to the parents of a 6-year-old child suffering from angina why nitroglycerin patches for chest pain would not be appropriate. Which of the following will the nurse include in an explanation?
A) A child has an erratic blood flow from an immature peripheral circulation, which increases drug absorption, causing an increase in adverse effects.
B) A child's gastric pH is decreased, causing less of the drug to be absorbed from the subcutaneous skin, therefore producing more adverse effects.
C) A child has a greater body surface area, creating greater permeability resulting in an increase in absorption of topical agents, which may result in more adverse effects.
D) A child has a smaller body surface area, resulting in an increase in topical absorption, which can cause more adverse effects.
Ans: C
Feedback:
Increased absorption of topical drugs is common in pediatric patients because children have a greater body surface area and a child's skin exhibits greater permeability.
Increased absorption of topical drugs can result in adverse effects that do not occur in adult patients. Erratic blood flow would affect an intramuscular or subcutaneous route of drug administration. Gastric pH would not affect topical absorption.
4. A 7-year-old child has been taking tetracycline for a bacterial infection. The nurse will be sure to inform the parents that this drug could cause
A) orange-tinged urine.
B) staining of permanent teeth.
C) sleep deprivation.
D) deep muscle pain. Ans: B
Feedback:
Tetracycline is an example of a drug that can adversely affect a body system during a phase of child development. If administered to a child between the ages of 4 months and 8 years, it can stain the child's permanent teeth. Discolored urine, deep muscle pain, and sleep deprivation are not associated with tetracycline. [Show Less]