Question
A medication is prescribed for a pediatric client. The nurse is ensuring the dosage is correct. What factor would the nurse use to calculate the dosage is correct for this client?
Ethnicity Age Body surface area (BSA) Developmental level
Ethnicity Age Body surface area (BSA) Developmental level
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To calculate the correct dosage for a pediatric client, the most appropriate factor to use is **Body Surface Area (BSA)**.
BSA is often considered a more accurate method for dosing in children because it takes into account the child's weight and height, providing a more individualized measure that can help in minimizing the risk of underdosing or overdosing. While age and developmental level can provide some context for understanding a child's overall health and medication needs, BSA is the primary method used in pediatric dosing calculations.
Ethnicity does not typically play a role in dosage calculation. Therefore, for calculating the correct dosage for a pediatric client, **Body Surface Area (BSA)** is the best choice.
BSA is often considered a more accurate method for dosing in children because it takes into account the child's weight and height, providing a more individualized measure that can help in minimizing the risk of underdosing or overdosing. While age and developmental level can provide some context for understanding a child's overall health and medication needs, BSA is the primary method used in pediatric dosing calculations.
Ethnicity does not typically play a role in dosage calculation. Therefore, for calculating the correct dosage for a pediatric client, **Body Surface Area (BSA)** is the best choice.