Use Case A to answer The Following questions
CASE A
A 7-year-old patient arrives for an afternoon appointment with the dental hygienist. The vital signs are recorded. A blood pressure reading is not obtained, but pulse rate is 110 beats per minute, regular and strong. Respirations are 18 per minute, regular and easy. At the end of the appointment, it is determined that sodium fluoride (NaF) treatment would be beneficial. Using trays, 2 mL of 2% NaF (cherry flavor) gel is administered. During the fluoride treatment, the child swallows some of the fluoride gel. The mother is advised that the child should not eat or drink for 30 minutes and that some fluoride gel has been ingested. The dental hygienist does not anticipate any problems but informs the mother of symptoms to watch for and that she should contact her physician if she has any concerns after the appointment.
-How safe is the maximum amount of fluoride potentially ingested by the child?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The amount of fluoride ingested (2 mL of 2% NaF gel) is below the safely tolerated dose (STD) for a child of this age. The STD for fluoride ingestion in children 6-14 years old is 5 mg/kg of body weight, which means that for a 7-year-old child weighing about 22 kg, the maximum safe dose would be 110 mg of fluoride. The amount of fluoride ingested in this case (assuming that the child swallowed all of the gel) would be about 22 mg (2 mL x 2% NaF x 22 mg fluoride/mg of NaF). Therefore, it is below the safe threshold and unlikely to cause any adverse effects. However, the child should still be monitored for symptoms of fluoride toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and the mother should contact her physician if she has any concerns.

Use Case a to Answer the Following Questions