Dosage Calculations Quiz

The nurse is preparing to administer Hepatitis B Vaccine, Recombinant (Energix-B) 5 mcg IM to a school-aged child. The vaccine is labeled, 10 mcg/ml. How many ml should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth).

0.5 Use ratio and proportion, 5 mcg : X ml :: 10 mcg : 1ml 10X = 5 X = 0.5 ml

A client's daily PO prescription for aripiprazole (Abilify) is increased from 15 mg to 30 mg. The medication is available in 15 mg tablets, and the client already received one tablet today. How many additional tablets should the nurse administer so the client receives the total newly prescribed dose for the day? (Enter numeric value only.)

1 30 mg (total dose) - 15 mg (dose already administered) = 15 mg that still needs to be administered. Using the Desired/Have formula: 15 mg/15 mg = 1 tablet

A client with multiple sclerosis is prescribed Dantrolene (Dantrium) 0.1 grams PO bid for spasticity. Dantrolene is available in 100 mg capsules. How many capsules should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only.)

1 Using the conversion of 1 gram = 1000 mg: 0.1 gram = 100 mg 100 mg = 1 capsule

A client who has AIDS is receiving octreotide (Sandostatin) 1,200 mcg by subcutaneous injection every day for symptoms of diarrhea. Octreotide is available for injection in 1 mg/ml vials. How many ml should the nurse administer? (Enter the numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

1.2 First, to convert micrograms to milligrams, divide the number of micrograms by 1000: 1,200/1000 = 1.2 mg. Using the Desired/Have available formula: 1.2 mg/1 mg x 1 ml = 1.2 ml

A client who weighs 70 kg is receiving a dopamine solution of 800 mg/500 ml normal saline at 5 ml/hour. How many mcg/kg/minute is the client receiving? (Enter the numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

1.9 To change ml/hour to mcg/kg/minute, use the formula: desired rate (5 ml/hour) / volume available (500ml) x dose available (800mg) = 8 mg/hour. Next, convert milligrams/hour to mcg/kg/minute: mg (8) x 1000 / kg (70) / 60 minutes = 1.904 = 1.9 mcg/kg/minute.

A client with cardiogenic shock weighs 220 lb and is receiving dopamine at the rate of 3 mcg/kg/minute. The solution strength available is dopamine 400 mg in 250 ml of D5W. The nurse should set the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hour? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

11.3 First, convert pounds to kg, 220 lb : X = 2.2 lb : 1 kg = 100 kg Next, calculate the dosage per minute, 3 mcg/kg/min x 100 kg = 300 mcg/min Convert mcg/min to mcg/hour, 300 mcg/min x 60 min=18,000 mcg/hour Convert mcg/hr to mg/hour, 18,000 mcg/hr = 18.0 mg/hour Calculate the rate, 400 mg : 250 ml = 18 mg : X ml 400X = 4500 X = 11.25 = 11.3 ml. So, 18 mg/11.3 ml should be infused at 11.3 ml/hour.

A child who is scheduled for a kidney transplant receives a prescription for basiliximab (Simulect) 20 mg IV 2 hours prior to surgery. The medication is available in a 20 mg vial that is reconstituted by adding 5 ml sterile water for injection, and administered in a 50 ml bag of normal saline over 30 minutes. The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hour? (Enter the numeric value only.)

110 After reconstituting the medication vial, the nurse adds the 5 ml of medication to the 50 ml of sterile water to result in a 55 ml volume to infuse in 30 minutes. Using the formula, Volume/Time = 55 ml / 0.5 hours = 110 ml/hour

A client has a prescription for inamrinone (Inocor) 0.75 mg/kg IV bolus to be delivered over 3 minutes. The client weighs 80 kg. Inamrinone is available for injection 100 mg/20 ml. How many ml of inamrinone should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

12 First calculate the mg/kg dosage needed: 0.75 mg x 80 kg = 60 mg needed Then calculate Desired / Have x ml 60 mg / 100 mg x 20 ml = 12 ml

The healthcare provider prescribes a continuous intravenous infusion of dextrose 5% and 0.45% sodium chloride witth KCl 20 mEq/1000 ml to be delivered over 8 hours. The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hour? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

125 Using the formula volume/time: 1000 ml/8 hours = 125 ml/hour

The healthcare provider prescribes acetazolamide (Diamox) 600 mg/m2/day divided into 3 doses. The nurse calculates the child's body surface area (BSA) as 0.7 m2. How many mg should the child receive per dose? (Enter the numeric value only.)

140 Using the child's BSA, 0.7 m2, calculate the mg/dose, 600 mg x 0.7 m2 = 420 mg/day/3 doses = 140 mg/dose

A client who has a sinus infection is receiving a prescription for amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium (Augmentin) 500 mg PO q8 hours. The available form is 250 mg amoxicillin/125mg clavulanate tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer for each dose? (Enter numeric value only.)

2 Using Desired/Available formula: 500 mg/250 mg x 1 tablet = 2

A client experiencing cardiogenic shock receives a prescription for an IV infusion of 0.9% normal saline with milrinone (Primacor) 10 mg in 100 ml at a rate of 46 mcg/minute. The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hour? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

28 First calculate the number of mcg/hour: 46 mcg x 60 minutes = 2760 mcg/hour Next calculate the number of ml/hour needed to administer 2760 mcg/hour: 10,000 mcg : 100 ml :: 2760 mcg : X 10,000 / 2760 :: 100 / X 10,000X = 276000 X = 27.6 (rounded to) 28 ml/hour

A client with hypertension receives a prescription for carteolol (Cartel) 7.5mg PO daily. The drug is available in 2.5 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Enter numeric value only.)

3 Using D/H: 7.5mg / 2.5mg = 3 tablets

A client with hypertension who weighs 72.4 kg is receiving an infusion of nitroprusside (Nipride) 50 mg in D5W 250 ml at 75 ml/hour. How many mcg/kg/minute is the client receiving? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

3.5 Calculate the mg/hour infusing, 50 mg : 250 ml = X : 75 ml 250X = 3750 and X = 15 mg/hour Next, convert mg/hr to mcg/hour, 15 mg/hour = 1 mg / 1000 mcg = 15,000 mcg/hour, then divide by 60 min = 250 mcg/minute Lastly, 250 mcg/72.4 kg/min = 3.45 = 3.5 mcg/kg/minute

A client receives a prescription for an intravenous infusion 0.45% sodium chloride 500 ml to be infused over 6 hours. The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver how many ml/hour? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

83 Calculate using Volume/Time: 500 ml/6 hours = 83.3 ml/hour