A 28-lb toddler is prescribed amoxicillin at 145 mg by mouth three times daily. What is the calculated difference between the prescribed dosage and the maximum safe dosage limit?

To determine the calculated difference between the prescribed dosage of amoxicillin and the maximum safe dosage limit, one must first understand the maximum recommended dosage for amoxicillin in children. The typical dosage for pediatric patients is often based on a guideline of 20 to 40 mg per kg of body weight per day, depending on the condition being treated.

In this case, the toddler weighs 28 lbs, which can be converted to kilograms (1 lb = 0.453592 kg). Therefore, the weight in kilograms is approximately 12.7 kg (28 lbs x 0.453592 kg/lb). Applying the maximum dosage of amoxicillin, if we take the safer upper limit of 40 mg/kg/day for calculations, we can calculate the maximum daily dose allowed:

40 mg/kg/day x 12.7 kg = 508 mg/day.

Since the number of doses is three times a day, we divide the daily total by three:

508 mg/day ÷ 3 = approximately 169.33 mg per dose.

Now, the prescribed dosage is 145 mg by mouth three times daily. This means the prescribed total per day would be:

145 mg x 3 = 435 mg/day.

To find the difference between