The pediatrician has ordered $6 \mathrm{mg} / \mathrm{kg}$ of theophylline anhydrous for a child weighing 53 pounds. How many tablets would be administered to this child?
Reference
$-x$
theophylline, anhydrous
100 Tablets
400 mg*
UNICONTIN
Controlled-Release System
Rx only
100 Tablets I NDC 67781-251-01
IPL Pharmaceuticals
Store at $25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\left(77^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\right)$ excursions permitted between $15^{\circ}-30^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\left(59^{\circ}-86^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\right)$
Usual Dosage: Read accompanying prescribing literature.
Dispense in tight, light-resistant container.
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Answer
However, it's not practical to administer 0.36 of a tablet. Therefore, the child should be administered \(\boxed{1}\) tablet, and the dosage should be adjusted as necessary under the guidance of the pediatrician.
Step 1 ：First, we need to convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms, since the dosage is given in mg/kg. We know that 1 pound is approximately 0.453592 kg, so a child weighing 53 pounds weighs approximately \(53 \times 0.453592 = 24.04\) kg.
Step 2 ：Next, we calculate the total dosage for the child. The doctor has ordered 6 mg/kg, so the total dosage is \(6 \times 24.04 = 144.24\) mg.
Step 3 ：Finally, we need to determine how many tablets this corresponds to. Each tablet contains 400 mg of theophylline anhydrous, so the child should be administered \(\frac{144.24}{400} = 0.36\) tablets.
Step 4 ：However, it's not practical to administer 0.36 of a tablet. Therefore, the child should be administered \(\boxed{1}\) tablet, and the dosage should be adjusted as necessary under the guidance of the pediatrician.
