Prepare for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Oral Boards. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations to ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

A 25 kg child is prescribed Amoxicillin at 40 mg/kg/day in three divided doses, with a maximum of 500 mg per dose. What is the maximum daily dose in mg?

The key idea is combining mg/kg dosing with a per-dose cap. Calculate the total daily dose first: 25 kg × 40 mg/kg/day = 1000 mg/day. Since the prescription is in three divided doses, the per-dose amount would be about 1000 mg ÷ 3 ≈ 333 mg per dose, which is below the 500 mg-per-dose ceiling. Therefore the daily total dose remains 1000 mg/day. If the mg/kg calculation had produced a daily total that would force a per-dose amount above 500 mg, you would cap each dose at 500 mg (potentially increasing the total daily amount to 1500 mg if three 500 mg doses were used), but that isn’t the case here.

The key idea is combining mg/kg dosing with a per-dose cap. Calculate the total daily dose first: 25 kg × 40 mg/kg/day = 1000 mg/day. Since the prescription is in three divided doses, the per-dose amount would be about 1000 mg ÷ 3 ≈ 333 mg per dose, which is below the 500 mg-per-dose ceiling. Therefore the daily total dose remains 1000 mg/day. If the mg/kg calculation had produced a daily total that would force a per-dose amount above 500 mg, you would cap each dose at 500 mg (potentially increasing the total daily amount to 1500 mg if three 500 mg doses were used), but that isn’t the case here.