Editing Pediatric Nursing – RN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 5==
A child weighing 8 kg has an order for furosemide 20 mg intravenously every 12 hours. The reference safe range is 1 to 2 mg/kg per dose. What is the nurse's '''best''' action?
# Administer the dose as prescribed, since furosemide has a wide safety margin.
# Administer 16 mg and document the adjustment as a nursing intervention.
# Hold the dose and contact the prescriber to clarify the order.
# Give half the dose now and the remaining half in 6 hours.

'''Answer:''' 3. Hold the dose and contact the prescriber to clarify the order.

''Rationale:'' The safe range is 8 to 16 mg per dose (8 kg x 1 to 2 mg/kg). The ordered 20 mg exceeds the maximum safe dose, so the nurse must hold the medication and clarify with the prescriber. Option 1 administers a known overdose. Options 2 and 4 involve the nurse altering a prescribed dose or schedule, which is outside the scope of registered nursing practice and constitutes prescribing.