The licensed physician orders amoxicillin 500 mg by mouth every 6 hours for a child weighing 44 lbs. Amoxicillin is supplied in 250 mg capsules. The recommended daily oral dosage is 25-50 mg/kg/24 h in divided doses every 6 hours. Based on the recommended dosage, is this dose safe? How much of this medication will you administer?

Step 1 is the conversion of weight from pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg): 44 lbs ÷ 2.2 kg/lbs = 20 kg. Step 2 is the calculation of the minimum and maximum recommended daily dosages:. Minimum daily dose: 25 mg/kg/day × 20 kg = 500 mg/day. Maximum daily dose: 50 mg/kg/day × 20 kg = 1000 mg/day. Step 3 is the calculation of the ordered daily dosage: 500 mg/dose × 4 doses/day = 2000 mg/day. Step 4 is the comparison of the ordered dose to the recommended range and safety determination: The ordered daily dose of 2000 mg/day is greater than the maximum recommended daily dose of 1000 mg/day. Therefore, the ordered dose is unsafe. Step 5 is the calculation of the number of capsules to administer per dose: 500 mg/dose ÷ 250 mg/capsule = 2 capsules. The ordered dose is unsafe. The nurse will administer 2 capsules per dose.