An infant who weighs 22 pounds receives a prescription for amoxicillin 20 mg/kg/day by mouth in divided doses every 8 hours. The bottle is labeled, "Amoxicillin for Oral Suspension, USP 250 mg per 5 mL." How many mL should the nurse administer with each dose? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is necessary, round to the nearest tenth.)
Explanation & Rationale
1. Convert the infant's weight from pounds to kilograms. We can use the conversion factor 1 kg = 2.2 lb. So, 22 lb x (1 kg / 2.2 lb) = 10 kg. 2. Calculate the total daily dose of amoxicillin for the infant. We can use the formula D = d x W, where D is the total daily dose, d is the dose per kg per day, and W is the weight in kg. So, D = 20 mg x 10 kg = 200 mg. 3. Calculate the single dose of amoxicillin for the infant. We can divide the total daily dose by the number of doses per day. Since the prescription is for every 8 hours, there are 3 doses per day. So, 200 mg / 3 = 66.67 mg. 4. Calculate the volume of amoxicillin suspension for the single dose. We can use the ratio of the concentration of the suspension, which is 250 mg per 5 mL. So, 66.67 mg x (5 mL / 250 mg) = 1.33 mL. 5. Round the volume to the nearest tenth= 1.3 mL