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Difficulty: EasyPharmacological Therapies

A school-aged child with a superficial skin infection is prescribed oral cephalexin 500 mg every 12 hours. The pharmacy dispenses cephalexin oral suspension with a concentration of 250 mg/5 mL.

How many mL should the practical nurse administer for a single dose? Record the answer as a whole number. Do not include units in the answer.

Answer: 10 mL

Answer

10
To determine the correct volume to administer, use the formula DesiredHave×Volume\frac{\text{Desired}}{\text{Have}} \times \text{Volume}. The desired single dose is 500 mg, and the medication on hand is 250 mg per 5 mL. Plugging these values into the formula yields 500250×5=10\frac{500}{250} \times 5 = 10 mL.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the desired single dose from the provider's prescription.
500 mg
This is the target amount of medication the client needs to receive at one time.
2
Identify the concentration of the medication available from the pharmacy.
250 mg in 5 mL
This determines how much liquid contains the required medication.
3
Apply the dosage calculation formula: DesiredHave×Volume\frac{\text{Desired}}{\text{Have}} \times \text{Volume}.
500250×5\frac{500}{250} \times 5
This standard formula safely converts the prescribed mass into the volume to be administered.
4
Perform the arithmetic to find the final volume.
10
Simplifying the fraction 500250\frac{500}{250} equals 2. Multiplying 2×52 \times 5 yields 10.

Key Concept

Basic Liquid Dosage Calculation
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Topics

Pharmacological Therapies

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