A nurse is providing care to a 4-year-old child hospitalized with vomiting and suspected dehydration. The health care provider has prescribed ondansetron 0.5 mg/kg IV as a one-time dose. The safe dose is 5 mg/kg/dose. The child weighs 44 lbs. How many milligrams should the nurse administer? Round your answer to the nearest tenth if needed

To calculate the dosage of ondansetron for the child, first convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms, knowing that 1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. The child weighs 44 lbs, which is equivalent to 20 kg (44 lbs / 2.2 lbs per kg). The prescribed dose is 0.5 mg/kg, so you would multiply the child's weight in kilograms by the dose: 20 kg * 0.5 mg/kg = 10 mg. Since the safe dose is up to 5 mg/kg per dose and the child's weight is 20 kg, the maximum safe dose would be 100 mg (20 kg * 5 mg/kg). Therefore, the nurse should administer 10 mg, as it is within the safe dose range.