Prescribing in Special Populations Flashcards
7 cards from real PSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Prescribing in Special Populations flashcards as text
A 4-year-old child weighing 18 kg requires amoxicillin at 50 mg/kg/day in two divided doses. What is the correct dose per administration?
Answer: 450 mg
50 mg/kg/day × 18 kg = 900 mg/day divided by 2 doses = 450 mg per dose.
Which analgesic is absolutely contraindicated in children under 16 years of age due to the risk of Reye's syndrome?
Answer: Aspirin
Aspirin is contraindicated in children under 16 years due to its association with Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal hepatic and neurological condition.
Which route of vitamin K administration is preferred for neonatal prophylaxis against haemorrhagic disease of the newborn?
Answer: Intramuscular injection
Intramuscular vitamin K provides more reliable and sustained prophylaxis against haemorrhagic disease of the newborn compared to oral dosing.
Why is trimethoprim avoided in neonates under 6 weeks of age?
Answer: It displaces bilirubin from albumin, increasing the risk of kernicterus
Trimethoprim and sulfonamides can displace bilirubin from albumin in neonates, raising free bilirubin levels and increasing the risk of kernicterus.
When no specific paediatric dosing guidance is available, which age-based formula can be used to estimate a paediatric dose from the adult dose?
Answer: Young's rule using age
Young's rule (Age ÷ (Age + 12) × adult dose) estimates paediatric doses based on age, though weight- or BSA-based calculations are preferred when possible.
A 2-year-old child has been having a prolonged tonic-clonic seizure for 5 minutes in the community. What is the most appropriate first-line emergency treatment?
Answer: Buccal midazolam
Buccal midazolam is the preferred community first-line treatment for prolonged paediatric seizures as it is fast-acting, effective, and does not require IV access.
A 10-year-old child weighing 32 kg requires prednisolone at 1 mg/kg/day for an acute asthma exacerbation. What is the correct total daily dose?
Answer: 32 mg
1 mg/kg/day × 32 kg = 32 mg/day; this is the calculated dose based on the child's actual body weight.