A medication order is 0.5 mg/kg for a 60 kg patient. What is the total dose in milligrams?

A medication order is 0.5 mg/kg for a 60 kg patient. What is the total dose in milligrams?

• A. 15 mg
• B. 60 mg
• C. 30 mg
• D. 120 mg

Answer: (C)

This question tests calculating a weight-based medication dose by multiplying the dose per kilogram by the patient’s weight. The order is 0.5 mg per kg, and the patient weighs 60 kg, so the total dose is 0.5 mg/kg × 60 kg = 30 mg. 60 mg would come from using 1 mg/kg, 15 mg from 0.25 mg/kg, and 120 mg from 2 mg/kg, so the correct approach is to multiply the per-kilogram dose by the weight to get 30 mg.

This question tests calculating a weight-based medication dose by multiplying the dose per kilogram by the patient’s weight. The order is 0.5 mg per kg, and the patient weighs 60 kg, so the total dose is 0.5 mg/kg × 60 kg = 30 mg.

60 mg would come from using 1 mg/kg, 15 mg from 0.25 mg/kg, and 120 mg from 2 mg/kg, so the correct approach is to multiply the per-kilogram dose by the weight to get 30 mg.