chapter 3 pharmacology
A young mother asks the nurse why she cannot give her 2-year-old child an adult dose of acetaminophen. The nurse explains why this is unsafe. What statement would indicate that the mother needs further education?
"My baby's dose of acetaminophen is based on a healthy adult male."
An 81-year-old client with congestive heart failure has been sent to a cardiologist who prescribes digoxin 125 mcg PO every morning. The pharmacy dispenses pills that contain 0.25 mg of digoxin. How many pills should the nurse teach the client to take every morning?
0.5(amount of drug available/1 tablet)=(amount of drug prescribed/number of tablets to give) 125 mcg = 0.125 mg. 0.25 mg/1 tablet = 0.125 mg dose/X. Cross-multiply to determine 0.5 or 1/2 of a tablet is to be taken daily. The nurse may request the pharmacy dispense a different concentration to prevent the client from having to cut the tablet in half.
The health care provider has ordered 30 mg of Demerol IM for relief of a severe migraine headache. The package insert reads meperidine hydrochloride (Demerol) 50 mg/mL. How many milliliters would the nurse inject?
0.6
The client returns from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) with the following order: morphine 3 mg IV every 2 hours as needed for relief of pain. The vial reads morphine, 4 mg/mL. How many milliliters of morphine will the nurse administer? Round to two decimal places.
0.75 ((amount of drug available/volume available)/(amount of drug prescribed/volume to administer) Using the figures from this problem: 4 mg/1 mL = 3 mg/X. Cross-multiply yielding 0.75 mL.)
The health care provider has ordered 250 micrograms of a cardiac medication. The nurse knows through conversions of the metric system that this is equal to how many milligrams?
1 milligram equals 1000 micrograms, so 250 micrograms equals 0.25 mg.
Which best describes 100 mg/10 mL?
100 mg of the drug in 10 milliliters of liquid
How many milligrams are in 1 gram?
1000
Remicade 3 mg/kg IV infusion monthly has been prescribed for a client diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The client weighs 150 pounds. How many mg of Remicade will be infused? Round your answer to the nearest whole number.
205
Methocarbamol (Robaxin) 1.5 g orally four times a day has been prescribed for a client to treat neck pain. Robaxin is available in 500-mg tablets. How many tablets will the nurse administer for each dose?
3
The nurse is converting grams to milligrams. How would the nurse move the decimal point?
3 places to the right
Order: 400 mg. Cefazolin I.V. Available: Cefazolin 500 mg powder to be diluted with 5 mL of sterile saline How many mL will the nurse administer?
4 Explanation: To determine the number of mL, 500/5 = 100mg/1mL. 400mg/100mg = 4 mL FORMULA 5mL:500mg::XmL:400mg 5ml X 400mg 500mg XmL 5 X 400 500 2000 500 = 4ml
A client is receiving a maintenance dose of aminophylline, 3 mg/kg PO q 6 hr. The client weighs 50 kg. How many mg should the client receive in a 24-hour period?
600 mg (Using the formula: Amount of drug prescribed times weight of the client in kg times 4 (q 6 hr in a 24 hr period = 4). 3 times 50 = 150 mg to be given every 6 hours. To determine how many mg the client will receive in a 24-hour period divide 6 into 24 to equal 4 doses. 4 times 150 = 600 mg.
The nurse knows that household measurements are used for volume only and are not commonly used in health care settings. Sometimes for convenience the health care provider will order a drug in a household measurement. Which is an example of a drug ordered this way?
Amoxicillin 125 mg per teaspoon
The nurse is confirming the dosage of a prescribed medication ordered for a child. What assessment data should the nurse obtain to most accurately confirm that the dose is safe and effective?
Child's body surface area
Which best describes the manual redundancy system used to reduce potential error in medication administration by a nurse?
It is a process using the 5 rights and 3 checks.
The nursing student learns that the apothecary system was at one time used for weight but was recently eliminated for which reasons?
It produced a high rate of errors.
The client is to be given ascorbic acid 1 g daily by mouth. The medication comes in a container labeled, "Ascorbic Acid 250 mg tablets." How much will the nurse give?
The medication comes in 250 mg tablets, and the health care provider has ordered 1 g or 1,000 mg to be given to the client. Therefore, 1000 mg divided by 250 mg equals 4 tablets.
The nurse recognizes that what system is being used when seeing a medication ordered in minims?
apothecary
A nurse is preparing to administer a parenteral medication. Which form of the medication will be used?
liquid
The nursing student is studying drug dosage and has learned that there are three systems of measurement associated with drug dosing. What are these systems? (Select all that apply.)
metric system apothecary system household measurement system
