A practical nurse is preparing to administer an oral suspension to a client who weighs 154… — NCLEX-PN

A practical nurse is preparing to administer an oral suspension to a client who weighs $154\text{ lb}$ . The healthcare provider has prescribed $15\text{ mg/kg/day}$ to be administered in two equally divided doses. The pharmacy dispenses the medication with a concentration of $0.25\text{ g/5 mL}$ . How many $\text{mL}$ should the practical nurse administer for each dose? Record your answer to the nearest tenth. Do not include units in your answer.

Answer: 10.5 mL

Answer

10.5

To arrive at the correct answer of

10.5

, the practical nurse must systematically process multiple conversions. First, the client's weight is converted to kilograms (

154 \div 2.2 = 70\text{ kg}

). Next, the total daily dose is calculated (

70 \times 15 = 1050\text{ mg/day}

). Because the medication is divided into two equal doses, the single dose requirement is

525\text{ mg}

. Before calculating the volume, the dispensed concentration of

0.25\text{ g/5 mL}

must be converted to milligrams (

0.25 \times 1000 = 250\text{ mg/5 mL}

). Finally, using the desired over have formula:

(525\text{ mg} \div 250\text{ mg}) \times 5\text{ mL}

equals exactly

10.5\text{ mL}

Step-by-Step Solution

Convert the client's weight from pounds to kilograms.

154\text{ lb} \div 2.2\text{ lb/kg} = 70\text{ kg}

Weight-based dosing requires the client's weight in kilograms.

Calculate the total daily dose in milligrams.

70\text{ kg} \times 15\text{ mg/kg/day} = 1050\text{ mg/day}

This establishes the total amount of medication the client needs over a 24-hour period.

Determine the amount required for a single dose.

1050\text{ mg/day} \div 2\text{ doses} = 525\text{ mg/dose}

The prescription specifies two equally divided doses per day.

Convert the supplied medication concentration from grams to milligrams.

0.25\text{ g} \times 1000\text{ mg/g} = 250\text{ mg}

. The available concentration is

250\text{ mg}

per

5\text{ mL}

Units of measurement must match between the desired dose (mg) and the available medication supply (g) before calculating volume.

Calculate the volume to administer for a single dose.

(525\text{ mg} \div 250\text{ mg}) \times 5\text{ mL} = 2.1 \times 5\text{ mL} = 10.5\text{ mL}

Applying the standard dimensional analysis or 'Desired over Have times Volume' formula yields the exact volume to administer.

Key Concept

Multi-step dosage calculation involving weight conversion, frequency division, and unit conversion.

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