The nurse has been assigned to the pediatric floor. What actions by this nurse indicate an understanding of pharmacokinetic variables in children?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rationale 1: Low gastric acid production may slow the absorption of weak acids such as phenobarbital.
Rationale 2: The skin of infants is thin and very permeable, allowing topical drugs to be absorbed at a rapid rate. Frequent applications of topical corticosteroid cream can cause a systemic effect of hyperglycemia.
Rationale 3: Prior to 6 months, the child's liver function is immature and produces very small amounts of plasma proteins. This could lead to toxicity with drugs requiring high levels of protein binding such as propranolol (Inderal).
Rationale 4: Metabolic rate reaches adult levels by 5 years of age. Hepatic toxicity from salicylates would be unusual.
Rationale 5: Gentamicin is potentially nephrotoxic. This child has immature kidney function, which may result in an accumulation of the drug and an increased, not decreased, BUN.

The Nurse Has Been Assigned to the Pediatric Floor