Chapter 15: Calculation of Medication and Intravenous Dosages

The medication prescribed is morphine sulfate 6 mg subcutaneously. The medication label states morphine sulfate 10 mg/1 mL. The nurse plans to prepare how much medication to administer the dose? Fill in the blank.

0.6 mL

The intravenous prescription is 3000 mL of 5% dextrose in water (D5W) to run over a 24-hour period. The drop factor is 10 gtts/1 mL. The nurse plans to adjust the flow rate to how many gtts/minute? Fill in the blank and record the answer to the nearest whole number

21 gtts/min

The medication prescribed is heparin 5000 units subcutaneously, every 12 hours. The medication vial reads heparin 10,000 units/mL. The nurse prepares how many mL to administer one dose? Fill in the blank.

0.5

The medication prescribed is prochlorperazine 5 mg intramuscularly, every 4 hours as needed. The medication label states prochlorperazine 10 mg/mL. The nurse prepares how much medication to administer the dose? Fill in the blank.

0.5 mL

The medication prescribed is hydromorphone hydrochloride 3 mg intramuscularly, every 4 hours as needed. The medication label reads hydromorphone hydrochloride 4 mg/1 mL. The nurse would prepare to administer how many mL to the client? Fill in the blank.

0.75 mL

The medication prescribed is haloperidol, 4 mg intramuscularly, immediately. The medication label states 5 mg/1 mL. The nurse prepares how much medication to administer the dose? Fill in the blank.

0.8 mL

The medication prescribed is zidovudine, 0.2 g orally, three times daily. The medication label states zidovudine, 100-mg tablets. The nurse prepares to administer how many tablets for one dose? Fill in the blank.

2 tablets

milliequivalent (mEq)

of the number of grams of a medication contained in 1 mL of a solution.

Infusion time

total volume to infuse / mL per hour being infused = infusion time

Equivalents

1 mcg = 0.000001 g 1 mg = 1000 mcg or 0.001 g 1 g = 1000 mg 1 kg = 1000 g 1 kg = 2.2 lb 1 mL = 0.001 L

The medication prescribed is levodopa 1 g orally, daily. The medication label states levodopa, 500-mg tablets. The nurse prepares to administer how many tablets for one dose? Fill in the blank.

2 tablets

Unit

Measures a medication in terms of its action rather than its physical weight

Reconstitution

▪ When reconstituting a medication, locate the instructions on the label or in the vial package insert and read and follow the directions carefully. ▪ The instructions will state the volume of diluent to be used and the resulting volume of the reconstituted medication. ▪ Often a powdered medication adds volume to the solution in addition to the amount of diluent added. ▪ The total volume of the prepared solution will always exceed the volume of the diluent added. When reconstituting a multiple-dose vial, label the medication vial with the date and time of preparation, your initials, and the date of expiration. ▪ Indicating the strength per volume on the medication label also is important.

The medication prescription states to administer acetaminophen 650 mg orally for a temperature of more than 38°C. The medication bottle states acetaminophen 325-mg tablets. The nurse takes the client's temperature and notes that it is 101°F. The nurse plans to take which action? 1. Administer two tablets of acetaminophen. 2. Administer three tablets of acetaminophen. 3. Do not administer acetaminophen at this time. 4. Check the client's temperature in 30 minutes.

1

The medication prescribed is methylprednisolone acetate 60 mg intramuscularly. The medication label states methylprednisolone acetate 40 mg/1 mL. How many milliliters will the nurse prepare to administer to the client? Fill in the blank.

15 mL

Standard Formula for Calculating a Medication Dosage

D (desired) is the dosage that the health care provider prescribed. A (available) is the dosage strength as stated on the medication label. Q (quantity) is the volume or form in which the dosage strength is available, such as tablets, capsules, or milliliters.

Medication Prescriptions

Name of client Date and time when prescription is written Name of medication to be given Dosage of medication Medication route Time and frequency of administration Signature of person who wrote the prescription

Flow rate formula

Total time x drop factor / time in min = drops per min

Number of ml per hour

Total volume in mL / number of hours = number of ml per hour

The medication prescription reads phenytoin 0.2 g orally, twice daily. The medication label states 100-mg capsules. The nurse prepares how many capsule(s) to administer one dose? Fill in the blank.

2 caps

RN

draw Regular insulin into the insulin syringe first, and then draw the NPH insulin

Indications of fluid overload

increased heartrate, increased respiration, or increased lung congestion

The medication is an intramuscular dose of 400,000 units of penicillin G benzathine. The medication label reads penicillin G benzathine 300,000 units/mL. The nurse prepares how much medication to administer the correct dose? Fill in the blank and record the answer using one decimal place.

1.3 mL

The medication prescribed is metoclopramide hydrochloride 10 mg intramuscularly times one dose. The medication label reads metoclopramide hydrochloride 5 mg/mL. The nurse prepares how much medication to administer the dose? Fill in the blank.

2 mL

The medication prescribed is digoxin 0.25 mg orally, daily. The medication label reads digoxin 0.125 mg/tablet. The nurse would prepare how many tablet(s) to administer the dose? Fill in the blank.

2 tablets

The intravenous prescription is 1000 mL of 0.9% NaCl (normal saline) to run over 12 hours. The drop factor is 15 gtts/1 mL. The nurse plans to adjust the flow rate to how many gtts/minute? Fill in the blank and record the answer to the nearest whole number.

21 gtt/min

The nurse is preparing to administer 30 mL of a liquid medication to an assigned client. What would the nurse do when preparing this medication?

When preparing to administer a liquid medication, the nurse must use a medicine cup, pouring liquids into it after placing it on a flat surface at eye level, with the thumbnail at the medicine cup line indicating the desired amount. Liquids would not be mixed with tablets or with other liquids in the same container. The nurse would be sure not to return poured medication to its container and must properly discard poured medication if not used. The nurse needs to pour liquids from the side opposite the bottle's label to avoid spilling medicine on the label. Medications that irritate the gastric mucosa, such as potassium products, must be diluted or be taken with meals. Ice chips would be offered before administering unpleasant-tasting medications, to numb the client's taste buds.