safe dose range question

[finallyfound10]

Ordered dose: Ceftazidime 500 mg IV every 8 hours (7 kg infant)

Recommended dose: 100-150 mg/kg/ day divided every 8 hours.

Is this dose safe????

The answer is NO. But WHY?????? The "divided" part is confusing me.

THANKS!!!

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

Step # 1:

Take the safe dosage range of 100 mg to 150 mg per Kg and multiply it by the infant’s weight, which is 7Kg in this example. Your answer: 700mg to 1050mg

Step # 2

You are to give the medication every 8 hours correct? Okay, the safe dosage amount given is for a 24 hour period of time. So, in order to determine the safe dosage every 8 hours, you have to divide 24 by 8, which is 3.

Step # 3

Now, take the answer from step # 1 700mg to 1050 mg and divide both numbers by 3, which is 233 mg and 350mg.

If you administer 500mg, you exceed the safe dosage range.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

A quicker way I do the problem on the floor is this…I do step one. Then I take the order 500mg and multiply it by 3 (the amount of times the medication will be given within a 24-hour period of time), which is 1500mg. So, I immediately know the order is not within the safe dosage range because the maximum dosage I can safely give is 1050mg in 24 hours.

[Mike R, ADN, BSN, RN]

Recommended dose: 100-150 mg/kg/ day divided every 8 hours.

Is this dose safe????

The answer is NO. But WHY?????? The "divided" part is confusing me.

THANKS!!!

Don't let that divided part get you. Read it for what it is: Every 8 hours you will give a dose until you reach the total daily limit.

Then go with Parkerbeancurd to figure out how much to give each time.

[finallyfound10]

Thank you to all who answered!!!!