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Difficulty: EasyPharmacological Therapies

A healthcare provider prescribes levothyroxine 0.05 mg0.05\text{ mg} orally once daily for a client managed for hypothyroidism. The medication drawer contains levothyroxine 25 mcg25\text{ mcg} tablets. How many tablets should the practical nurse administer for the scheduled dose? Record the answer as a whole number. Do not include units in the answer.

Answer: 2 tablets

Answer

The practical nurse should administer 2 tablets.
To safely calculate the dose, the prescribed amount (0.05 mg0.05\text{ mg}) must first be converted to the same unit as the available medication (25 mcg25\text{ mcg} tablets). Multiplying 0.05 mg0.05\text{ mg} by 10001000 yields 50 mcg50\text{ mcg}. Using the standard formula (Desired divided by Have), 50 mcg50\text{ mcg} divided by 25 mcg25\text{ mcg} equals 22 tablets.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Convert the prescribed dose to match the unit of the available medication.
0.05 mg=50 mcg0.05\text{ mg} = 50\text{ mcg}
Safe medication administration requires calculations to be performed using the same unit of measurement.
2
Calculate the number of tablets using the standard dosage formula.
50 mcg25 mcg×1 tablet=2 tablets\frac{50\text{ mcg}}{25\text{ mcg}} \times 1\text{ tablet} = 2\text{ tablets}
This determines the exact physical quantity to administer to the client to achieve the prescribed dose.

Key Concept

Basic unit conversion and oral dosage calculation
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Pharmacological Therapies

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