A pediatric client weighs 26 kg. The prescription calls for a medication dosed at 5 mg/kg/day, to be given every 6 hours. What is the dose per administration?

Pediatric pharmacokinetics require accurate weight-based dosing to maintain therapeutic efficacy and safety. Clinicians must account for renal maturity and total body water to prevent toxicity or subtherapeutic drug serum levels. Rationale: A. This dosage represents an overdose for a patient weighing 26 kilograms. It exceeds the total daily requirement by a significant margin. Administering this amount every 6 hours would lead to systemic toxicity and potential organ damage. Precise calculation of the daily total is the first essential step. B. Step 1: Calculate total daily dose Total daily dose = 26 kg × 5 mg/kg/day = 130 mg/day Step 2: Determine number of doses per day Every 6 hours = 24 ÷ 6 = 4 doses/day Step 3: Calculate dose per administration Dose per dose = 130 ÷ 4 = 32.5 mg Final Answer: 32.5 mg C. This value represents the total daily amount required for the client rather than the individual dose. Administering this amount every 6 hours would quadruple the medication exposure. This mistake results from failing to divide the daily total. Pediatric safety depends on dividing daily totals. D. A dose of 65 mg assumes the medication is given twice daily instead of four times. This error in frequency calculation results in double the required dose. It leads to fluctuating serum levels and adverse reactions. Nurses must verify the number of doses daily.