Pediatric dose calculations based on age MCQs With Answer

Pediatric dose calculations based on age MCQs With Answer

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Pediatric dose calculations based on age MCQs With Answer introduce B. Pharm students to essential principles of pediatric pharmacotherapy, focusing on age-based dosing methods, weight and surface-area adjustments, and common clinical rules. This concise guide covers Clark’s and Young’s rules, mg/kg and mg/m2 calculations, neonatal and infant considerations, dosing concentrations, unit conversions, rounding, and safety checks to avoid dosing errors. Emphasis on pediatric pharmacokinetics, maturation, renal/hepatic function, and formulation constraints prepares students for practical prescription challenges. Clear examples and practice questions reinforce accurate computation and clinical reasoning. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What does Clark’s rule use to estimate a child’s dose from an adult dose?

  • Body surface area (BSA) of the child
  • Child’s weight in pounds relative to 150 lb adult
  • Child’s age in years
  • Age in months divided by 12

Correct Answer: Child’s weight in pounds relative to 150 lb adult

Q2. Young’s rule formula for pediatric dosing is based primarily on which parameter?

  • Child’s weight in kg
  • Child’s age in years
  • Body surface area
  • Gestational age

Correct Answer: Child’s age in years

Q3. The Mosteller formula for BSA uses which measurements?

  • Weight in pounds and age in years
  • Height in cm and weight in kg
  • Weight in kg only
  • Height in inches and age in months

Correct Answer: Height in cm and weight in kg

Q4. When converting an adult dose to a pediatric dose using mg/kg, which weight should be used?

  • Estimated ideal adult weight
  • Actual body weight of the child in kg
  • Birth weight for all pediatric ages
  • 50% of the child’s height in cm

Correct Answer: Actual body weight of the child in kg

Q5. A child weighs 20 kg. If the dose is 5 mg/kg, what is the total dose?

  • 25 mg
  • 100 mg
  • 10 mg
  • 200 mg

Correct Answer: 100 mg

Q6. For neonates, why is age-based dosing alone often insufficient?

  • Neonates have identical clearance to adults
  • Pharmacokinetics are influenced by maturation, organ immaturity, and body composition
  • Neonates always receive fixed doses irrespective of weight
  • Age is never recorded in neonates

Correct Answer: Pharmacokinetics are influenced by maturation, organ immaturity, and body composition

Q7. Which rule estimates pediatric dose using age in years as: Child’s dose = Adult dose × (Age / (Age + 12))?

  • Fried’s rule
  • Clark’s rule
  • Young’s rule
  • West nomogram

Correct Answer: Young’s rule

Q8. Fried’s rule is primarily used for dosing which pediatric age group?

  • Adolescents (12–18 years)
  • Infants (under 1 year), using age in months
  • All children over 2 years
  • Preterm neonates only

Correct Answer: Infants (under 1 year), using age in months

Q9. Which method is most appropriate for cytotoxic drugs with narrow therapeutic windows?

  • Age-based Young’s rule
  • Weight-based mg/kg or BSA-based mg/m2 dosing
  • Fixed pediatric tablet dosing
  • Using adult dose without adjustment

Correct Answer: Weight-based mg/kg or BSA-based mg/m2 dosing

Q10. A medication concentration is 10 mg/mL. If the required dose is 25 mg, how many mL should be administered?

  • 0.25 mL
  • 2.5 mL
  • 25 mL
  • 10 mL

Correct Answer: 2.5 mL

Q11. When rounding pediatric doses, what principle should guide the decision?

  • Always round up to the nearest whole tablet
  • Round to the safest practical dose that maintains accuracy and safety
  • Never round doses under any circumstance
  • Always round to two decimal places regardless of formulation

Correct Answer: Round to the safest practical dose that maintains accuracy and safety

Q12. Which factor most directly affects volume of distribution in infants compared to older children?

  • Higher proportion of body fat in neonates
  • Lower total body water percentage in neonates
  • Greater total body water and extracellular fluid in neonates
  • Identical body composition across ages

Correct Answer: Greater total body water and extracellular fluid in neonates

Q13. How is mg/m2 dosing calculated for a child if the drug recommends 150 mg/m2 and child BSA is 0.8 m2?

  • 120 mg
  • 187.5 mg
  • 75 mg
  • 150 mg

Correct Answer: 120 mg

Q14. Which calculation converts weight in pounds to kilograms for dosing calculations?

  • Multiply pounds by 2.2
  • Divide pounds by 2.2
  • Multiply pounds by 0.45 and then add 5
  • Divide pounds by 10

Correct Answer: Divide pounds by 2.2

Q15. A child aged 6 months (0.5 years) — which rule would be inappropriate to use alone?

  • Fried’s rule (age in months)
  • Population pharmacokinetic model
  • Young’s rule (age in years)
  • Weight-based mg/kg dosing

Correct Answer: Young’s rule (age in years)

Q16. What is a key safety check before calculating a pediatric dose from an adult dose?

  • Verify the child’s favorite flavor of medication
  • Confirm the child’s current weight and age and check renal/hepatic status
  • Assume all children metabolize drugs faster than adults
  • Always double the adult dose for effective therapy

Correct Answer: Confirm the child’s current weight and age and check renal/hepatic status

Q17. Using Clark’s rule: Child’s dose = (Weight in lb / 150) × Adult dose. For a 30 lb child and adult dose 300 mg, what is the child dose?

  • 60 mg
  • 90 mg
  • 100 mg
  • 30 mg

Correct Answer: 60 mg

Q18. When preparing oral liquid pediatric doses, what is important about concentrations?

  • Concentration labels are optional for liquids
  • Clear mg/mL labeling and appropriate syringe calibration are essential
  • Always assume liquids are 1 mg/mL unless stated
  • Concentration is irrelevant if using age-based dosing

Correct Answer: Clear mg/mL labeling and appropriate syringe calibration are essential

Q19. For a drug with adult dose 400 mg and BSA method recommended: Adult BSA = 1.73 m2. Child BSA = 0.9 m2. What is the pediatric dose using proportional BSA scaling?

  • 209 mg
  • 400 mg
  • 208.1 mg
  • 180 mg

Correct Answer: 208.1 mg

Q20. Which statement about dose per kg in pediatrics is correct?

  • Maximum mg/kg is constant across all ages for every drug
  • mg/kg dosing must consider age-related pharmacokinetics and organ function
  • mg/kg dosing is inappropriate and should not be used
  • Use mg/kg only for topical drugs

Correct Answer: mg/kg dosing must consider age-related pharmacokinetics and organ function

Q21. If a medication’s recommended pediatric dose is 10 mg/kg/day divided q12h for a 12 kg child, what is the dose per administration?

  • 60 mg every 12 hours
  • 120 mg every 12 hours
  • 10 mg every 12 hours
  • 24 mg every 12 hours

Correct Answer: 60 mg every 12 hours

Q22. The West nomogram is used primarily to estimate which parameter?

  • Oral bioavailability in neonates
  • Body surface area from height and weight for chemotherapy dosing
  • Renal clearance in infants
  • Conversion of mg to mL for liquid formulations

Correct Answer: Body surface area from height and weight for chemotherapy dosing

Q23. What is the primary risk when using adult fixed-dose tablets for children without calculation?

  • Under-dosing leading to treatment failure or overdosing causing toxicity
  • Tablets always dissolve slower in children
  • Children prefer liquid formulations
  • Tablets have no active ingredient for children

Correct Answer: Under-dosing leading to treatment failure or overdosing causing toxicity

Q24. Which is the correct BSA Mosteller formula?

  • BSA (m2) = sqrt([height(cm) + weight(kg)] / 3600)
  • BSA (m2) = sqrt([height(cm) × weight(kg)] / 3600)
  • BSA (m2) = (height(cm) × weight(kg))/3600
  • BSA (m2) = (height(cm) + weight(kg))/2

Correct Answer: BSA (m2) = sqrt([height(cm) × weight(kg)] / 3600)

Q25. A pediatric antibiotic dosing guideline states 50 mg/kg/day divided in 4 doses. For a 15 kg toddler, what is each dose?

  • 187.5 mg per dose
  • 50 mg per dose
  • 75 mg per dose
  • 150 mg per dose

Correct Answer: 187.5 mg per dose

Q26. For preterm neonates, which adjustment is most commonly necessary?

  • No adjustment; they receive adult doses
  • Lower doses or extended dosing intervals due to immature clearance
  • Double the dose because of rapid metabolism
  • Switch to transdermal administration exclusively

Correct Answer: Lower doses or extended dosing intervals due to immature clearance

Q27. When calculating a dose from mg/mL concentration, what is the first step?

  • Convert the dose to be administered into the same units as concentration (mg)
  • Estimate the child’s age in months
  • Select the largest volume syringe available
  • Ignore concentration because liquid volume is fixed

Correct Answer: Convert the dose to be administered into the same units as concentration (mg)

Q28. Which of the following is a limitation of age-based dosing rules like Young’s and Clark’s?

  • They account for organ maturity precisely
  • They do not account for individual weight, maturation, or organ function variability
  • They are the most accurate methods for neonates
  • They replace the need for pharmacokinetic modeling

Correct Answer: They do not account for individual weight, maturation, or organ function variability

Q29. A pediatric patient requires 0.75 mg/kg of a drug. If the child weighs 18 kg, what is the dose rounded to two decimal places?

  • 13.50 mg
  • 0.75 mg
  • 24.00 mg
  • 13.00 mg

Correct Answer: 13.50 mg

Q30. Which practice improves safety in pediatric dose calculations in the pharmacy?

  • Using a single method for all ages regardless of drug properties
  • Double-checking calculations, verifying weight in kg, checking concentrations, and documenting rationale
  • Relying solely on patient or parent recollection of prior dosing
  • Rounding all doses to whole tablets without considering formulations

Correct Answer: Double-checking calculations, verifying weight in kg, checking concentrations, and documenting rationale

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