Pediatric ATI Practice Exam

If an infant weighs 17.6 lb, how many mL of ibuprofen should be administered per dose at 5 mg/kg?

1. 1 mL.

2. 2 mL.

3. 3 mL.

4. 4 mL.

The correct answer is: 2 mL.

To calculate the appropriate dose of ibuprofen based on the infant's weight, we first need to convert the infant's weight from pounds to kilograms, as medication dosages for children are typically calculated based on weight in kilograms. The infant weighs 17.6 lb. To convert pounds to kilograms, use the conversion factor of 1 lb being approximately equal to 0.454 kg: 17.6 lb × 0.454 kg/lb = 7.99 kg, which can be rounded to approximately 8 kg for dosing purposes. Next, the dosing is calculated at 5 mg/kg. So, we multiply the weight in kilograms by the dosage in mg/kg: 8 kg × 5 mg/kg = 40 mg. Now, we need to determine how many mL of ibuprofen corresponds to 40 mg. Ibuprofen typically comes in a concentration of 100 mg/5 mL. To find out how many mL this is, we set up a proportion based on the concentration: If 100 mg is in 5 mL, then 40 mg is: (40 mg) × (5 mL / 100 mg) = 2 mL. Thus, the correct dosage to administer to this infant