A nurse is preparing to administer phenobarbital 6mg/kg/day to a patient weighing 44 lb. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose?

To determine the correct volume of phenobarbital to administer, start by converting the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms since the medication dose is based on kilograms. The conversion factor is that 1 kilogram is approximately 2.2 pounds.

First, convert the weight:

44 lb ÷ 2.2 lb/kg = 20 kg.

Next, calculate the total daily dose of phenobarbital based on the weight:

6 mg/kg/day × 20 kg = 120 mg/day.

Since the question does not specify how many times per day the dose should be divided, it is common to assume a single daily dose to simplify calculations.

Now, to find out how many milliliters correspond to the 120 mg, you must know the concentration of phenobarbital in mL. Typically, phenobarbital is available in a solution concentration, often 60 mg/mL (verify this concentration with medication labels).

To determine the volume in mL for a daily dose of 120 mg, use the concentration:

120 mg ÷ (60 mg/mL) = 2 mL.

However, if the medication is prescribed to be given multiple times a day (for example, in