A nurse is working in a newborn special care unit that has numerous premature infants.She recently transferred to this unit from an adult intensive care unit.The nurse is very cautious in administering medications because premature newborns are especially vulnerable to medication errors.Why is this true?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A child's age,weight,and maturity of body systems affect the ability to metabolize and excrete medications.For example,premature infants have underdeveloped livers and kidneys,which makes them especially susceptible to the harmful effects of medications.As children develop out of the newborn period,they metabolize medications quicker,resulting in the need for more frequent dosing of medications to achieve the medication's desired effect.

A Nurse Is Working in a Newborn Special Care Unit