The nurse is preparing the medication leucovorin to provide to a ...

[silviawilliams41]

The nurse is preparing the medication leucovorin to provide to a child who is currently receiving methotrexate for a brain tumor. What should the nurse explain to the child and parents regarding the purpose of this medication?
 
  A) It will encourage bone marrow to build new cells after methotrexate therapy.
  B) It helps methotrexate enter leukemia cells the same as insulin helps glucose enter cells.
  C) It is an experimental drug to ensure resistance to infection during methotrexate therapy.
  D) It prevents methotrexate that is not incorporated into leukemia cells from entering normal cells.

Question 2

A child with leukemia is prescribed to receive ondansetron hydrochloride (Zofran) 0.15 mg/kg intravenously prior to receiving the first dose of chemotherapy. The child weighs 55 lb.
 
  How many milligrams of the medication should the nurse provide to the child? (Numeric value only. Calculate to the nearest tenth decimal point.)

[coreycathey]

Answer to Question 1

D
Feedback:
A drug such as leucovorin, often called leucovorin rescue, may be administered after systemic methotrexate to neutralize its action and protect normal cells from the effect of the drug. Leucovorin is not used to encourage the growth of new cells in the bone marrow. It does not facilitate the use of methotrexate in the cells. Leucovorin is not an experimental drug used to improve resistance to infection.

Answer to Question 2

3.8 mg
Feedback:
The nurse needs to first determine the child's weight in kilograms by dividing 55 lb by 2.2 or 55 / 2.2 = 25 . Then the nurse should multiply the prescribed dose of 0.15 mg by the child's weight or 0.15 mg  25 kg = 3.75 . After rounding, the nurse should provide the patient with 3.8 mg of the medication prior to receiving chemotherapy.