A child must take 10 mL of cephalexin, an antibiotic, by mouth 2 times a day for 10 days. The solution is provided as a 50 mg/mL suspension. How many milligrams will the child have taken when the course of medication is over?
50 mg/mL x 10 ml/dose x 2 doses/day x 10 days = ? mg. Note how the units cancel mL with mL; dose with dose; day with day. Unit left is mg. Isn't chemistry fun.
To calculate the total number of milligrams the child will have taken when the course of medication is over, we need to calculate the daily dose and then multiply it by the number of days.
First, let's calculate the daily dose:
The child needs to take 10 mL of a 50 mg/mL suspension, so the child will be taking 10 mL * 50 mg/mL = 500 mg each time.
Since the child needs to take the medication 2 times a day, the total daily dose is 500 mg * 2 = 1000 mg.
Now, let's calculate the total dose for the 10-day course of medication:
The child needs to take the daily dose of 1000 mg for 10 days, so the total dose will be 1000 mg * 10 days = 10,000 mg.
Therefore, when the course of medication is over, the child will have taken a total of 10,000 milligrams.
To calculate how many milligrams the child will have taken when the course of medication is over, we need to multiply the dosage (in mL) by the concentration (in mg/mL) for each dose, and then multiply by the number of doses over the course of 10 days.
First, let's calculate the dosage per dose. The child needs to take 10 mL of cephalexin two times a day. So the dosage per dose is 10 mL.
Next, let's determine the concentration. The suspension provides a concentration of 50 mg/mL. So the concentration is 50 mg/mL.
Now, let's calculate the total milligrams taken over 10 days. The child takes two doses per day for 10 days, so the total number of doses is 2 doses/day * 10 days = 20 doses.
Finally, let's calculate the total milligrams taken. Multiply the dose per dose (10 mL) by the concentration (50 mg/mL), and then multiply by the number of doses (20 doses) over the course of 10 days.
Total milligrams = (10 mL/dose) * (50 mg/mL) * (20 doses)
Total milligrams = 10 * 50 * 20 = 10,000 mg
So, the child will have taken 10,000 milligrams of cephalexin when the course of medication is over.