A pediatric client with otitis media is prescribed amoxicillin 250 \text{ mg} by mouth eve… — NCLEX-RN

A pediatric client with otitis media is prescribed amoxicillin $250 \text{ mg}$ by mouth every $8$ hours. The pharmacy dispenses an oral suspension labeled $125 \text{ mg} / 5 \text{ mL}$ . Based on this information, how many milliliters ( $\text{mL}$ ) should the nurse administer for each individual dose?

$10 \text{ mL}$ Answer
B
$5 \text{ mL}$
C
$2.5 \text{ mL}$
D
$20 \text{ mL}$

Answer

The nurse should administer

10 \text{ mL}

of the medication for each dose.

The correct answer is

10 \text{ mL}

. To determine the appropriate volume, the nurse uses the formula (Desired / Have)

\times

Quantity. The desired dose is

250 \text{ mg}

and the available concentration is

125 \text{ mg}

per

5 \text{ mL}

. The calculation is

(\frac{250}{125}) \times 5 = 2 \times 5 = 10 \text{ mL}

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the prescribed (desired) dose.

Desired dose =

250 \text{ mg}

This is the target amount of medication ordered by the provider for a single administration.

Identify the available medication concentration.

Have =

125 \text{ mg}

, Quantity =

5 \text{ mL}

This information is found on the pharmacy label of the medication bottle.

Calculate the volume to administer using the formula:

(\text{Desired} / \text{Have}) \times \text{Quantity}

(\frac{250}{125}) \times 5 = 2 \times 5 = 10 \text{ mL}

Applying the standard medication math formula ensures the correct liquid volume is prepared.

Key Concept

Medication Dosage Calculation

Question

Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Key Concept

Common Mistakes

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