How much acetaminophen should a nurse administer to a child weighing 28 lbs if the dosage is 10 mg/kg?

To determine the correct dosage of acetaminophen for a child weighing 28 lbs, the first step is to convert the weight from pounds to kilograms, since the dosage is given in mg/kg. The conversion factor is that 1 kg is approximately 2.2 lbs.

Calculating the weight in kilograms:

28 lbs ÷ 2.2 lbs/kg = 12.73 kg (approximately 12.7 kg when rounded)

Next, using the prescribed dosage of 10 mg/kg:

12.7 kg × 10 mg/kg = 127 mg of acetaminophen.

Now, it’s important to consider the concentration of the liquid acetaminophen being used for administration. Often, the concentration is given in mg/mL. If we assume that the acetaminophen solution is typically available in a concentration of 160 mg/5 mL (which is common), we can set up our calculation based on this concentration:

First, find out how much volume corresponds to the 127 mg of acetaminophen needed:

If 160 mg is in 5 mL, then:

127 mg would be calculated as follows:

(127 mg) × (5 mL / 160 mg) = 3.96 mL