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1Formulas and methods
Pediatric nursing
Method
Note the child’s age first: it sets the normal vital signs, the milestones and the right pain scale.
Assess airway, breathing and circulation, remembering that children compensate and then deteriorate fast.
Match the action to the development stage and involve the family.
Check that the answer is safe for a child: weight-based, no aspirin in viral illness, no codeine under 12.
Pediatric & critical-care dosing
Daily dose
mg/day = mg/kg/day × weight (kg)
Doses per day
number = 24 h / dosing interval (h)
Pounds to kilograms
kg = lb / 2.2
Infusion concentration
units/mL = units in bag / bag volume
Pump rate
mL/h = dose per hour / concentration
Titrated drip
mL/h = mcg/kg/min × kg × 60 / (mcg/mL)
Dose from pump rate
mcg/kg/min = mL/h × (mcg/mL) / (60 × kg)
Units
1 mg = 1000 mcg
IV fluids & fluid balance
Holliday–Segar per hour
4 mL/kg (first 10 kg) + 2 mL/kg (next 10 kg) + 1 mL/kg (each kg above 20)
Holliday–Segar per day
100 / 50 / 20 mL/kg for the same bands
Fluid balance
intake − output
Ice chips
count as half their volume
Urine output
mL/kg/h = mL / (kg × h)
Infusion time
time (h) = volume left (mL) / rate (mL/h)
Volume infused
mL = rate × time
2Practice problems
1.Pediatric nursingMedium
Why should a child with diabetes rotate insulin injection sites?
ATo stop the insulin from becoming less effective over the years
BBecause the same site causes an allergy to insulin
CTo make sure each part of the body gets the same amount of insulin
DTo prevent lumpy fatty areas that absorb insulin unpredictably
2.Pediatric nursingHard
Which order should the nurse question for a child with neutropenia after chemotherapy?
AMonitor the temperature by the axillary or oral route
BMeasure the temperature rectally every 4 hours
CPerform careful hand hygiene before every contact
DReport a temperature of 38 °C or more immediately
3.Pediatric & critical-care dosingMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A practice protocol calls for a heparin bolus of 70 units/kg for a patient who weighs 72 kg. The vial contains 5 000 units/mL. What volume V do you draw up? Round to one decimal place.
70 units/kg72 kg5 000 units/mL
V = mL
4.Pediatric & critical-care dosingHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient who weighs 76 kg has an order for norepinephrine at 4 mcg/min. The bag contains 4 mg in 250 mL. Find the pump rate R in mL/h. Round to one decimal place.
4 mg/250 mL4 mcg/min76 kg
R = mL/h
5.IV fluids & fluid balanceMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). The record shows a patient's intake and output for one 12-hour shift. The patient weighs 98 kg. Find the average urine output U in mL/kg/h. Round to two decimal places.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 1000 mL infusion starts at 12:00 at 75 mL/h. After 4 hours the rate is changed to 50 mL/h and is not changed again. How many hours t after the start will the bag be empty? Round to one decimal place.
1000 mL75 mL/h · 4 h50 mL/h
t = h
3Solutions
1.Pediatric nursing
Answer: D · To prevent lumpy fatty areas that absorb insulin unpredictably
Why this is the answer
Injecting repeatedly into the same spot causes lipohypertrophy, thickened fatty lumps where insulin absorption is erratic. Rotating within and between sites keeps absorption more predictable.
Answer
D · To prevent lumpy fatty areas that absorb insulin unpredictably
2.Pediatric nursing
Answer: B · Measure the temperature rectally every 4 hours
Why this is the answer
Rectal temperatures, enemas and suppositories are avoided in neutropenia because they can injure the mucosa and allow bacteria into the blood. Fever in neutropenia is an emergency.
Answer
B · Measure the temperature rectally every 4 hours
3.Pediatric & critical-care dosing
Answer: V = 1 mL
Heparin and insulin infusions: concentration = units in the bag/bag volume (units/mL). Pump rate (mL/h) = units per hour/concentration, and units per hour = mL/h × concentration. For a weight-based order, units/h = units/kg/h × weight first. A bolus volume = units needed/vial strength. The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Units needed
70·72 = 5 040 units
Volume
V = 5040/5000 = 1.008 ≈ 1 mL
Answer
V = 1 mL
4.Pediatric & critical-care dosing
Answer: R = 15 mL/h
Titrated drips: first find the concentration in mcg/mL (mg × 1000/mL). For a weight-based order, mcg/min = mcg/kg/min × weight. Then mL/h = mcg/min × 60/concentration. Working backwards, mcg/kg/min = mL/h × concentration/(60 × weight). The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Concentration
4 000/250 = 16 mcg/mL
Dose per hour
The order is per minute for the whole patient, so the weight is not needed.
4·60 = 240 mcg/h
Pump rate
R = 240/16 = 15 mL/h
Answer
R = 15 mL/h
5.IV fluids & fluid balance
Answer: U = 1.13 mL/kg/h
Intake and output: intake counts everything that goes in (oral fluids, IV infusions, IV medications and flushes, tube feeds); ice chips count as half their volume. Output counts urine, drains, vomit and other losses. Balance = total intake − total output; a negative balance is a net loss. The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Total urine
300 + 250 + 425 + 350 = 1325 mL
Per kilogram per hour
U = 1325/(98·12) = 1.127 ≈ 1.13 mL/kg/h
Answer
U = 1.13 mL/kg/h
6.IV fluids & fluid balance
Answer: t = 18 h
Infusion time: time (h) = volume to infuse (mL)/rate (mL/h); use the volume still left in the bag, not the bag size. Volume infused = rate × time. Convert decimal hours to hours and minutes with the fraction × 60 (0.5 h = 30 min, not 50 min). The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
First part
75·4 = 300 mL
1000 − 300 = 700 mL left
Second part
700/50 = 14 h
Total time
t = 4 + 14 = 18 h
Answer
t = 18 h
That is about 18 h 00 min, so the bag runs out at about 06:00.