Question

The physician orders 2 mg of a certain medication be administered orally to a patient. The label indicates the strength of the medication is 1:7500. What volume (ml) of this medication will the nurse administer?

The physician orders, "Cytarabine, 400 mg, IM." The label indicates, "Cytarabine, 500 mg multidose vial. Reconstitute with 4 ml Normal Saline. The safe daily dose is 20 mg/kg/day to 25 mg/kg/day in equally divided doses every 6 hours." The patient weighs 160 pounds.  If the physician ordered a safe dose, what volume (ml) would you administer? If the dose is unsafe, enter zero (0). If the dose is safe round your answer to the nearest tenth.

The physician orders zidovyclin 300 mg IM every six hours. The medication is in a 2g multidose vial and needs to be reconstituted. The literature states, “For reconstitution dilute the medication with 3.6 ml NS which yields approximately 4 ml. The safe dose is 15 mg/kg/day to 40 mg/kg/day in equally divided doses every six hours.” Your patient weighs 120 pounds. If the physician ordered a safe dose, what volume (ml) would you administer? If the dose is unsafe, enter zero (0). If the dose is safe round your answer to the nearest tenth.

Answer 1

1 ) Here, the Physician orders 2mg of a certain medication be administered orally to a patient. The label indicates the strength of the medication is 1:7500.

Calculation:

   We can use following formula to calculate the volume of medication;

Prescription for the patient × Stock volume (ml)/Stock strength available = Volume given (ml)

= 2mg×7500ml/1000 mg = 15 ml

So, 15 ml of medication will the nurse administer.

2 ) The Physician orders, Cytarabine 400mg, IM. The label indicates, Cytarabine, 500 mg multidose vial.Reconstitute with 4ml normal saline.

Calculations :

We can use following formula to calculate volume of injection;

• Prescription for the patient ×Stock volume (ml)/Stock strength available =Volume given (ml)

= 400mg × 5ml/500mg = 1600/500 = 3.2ml

The safe daily dose is 20mg/kg/day in equally divided doses every 6 hours. So use 3.33 mg/kg/6hour is used. Patient body weight is 160 pounds.use following equation.

• Dosage required = Prescription × body weight =3.33×160pounds (72.575kg) =241.67mg

The dose is safe to the patient.

3 ) The physician order Zidovyclin 300mg IM every 6 hours. The medication is in a 2g multidose vial.Reconstitute with 3.6 ml normal saline which yields approximately 4ml.

Calculations :

• we can use following formula to calculate volume of injection;

Prescription for the patient × Stock volume (ml)/Stock strength available

300 mg every 6 hour so 1800mg

1800mg × 4 ml/2000 mg = 3.6ml

• The safe dose is 22mg/kg/day in equally divided doses every 6 hours. So use 3.6mg .Patient body weight 120 Pounds (54.431 kg)
• Dose required = Prescription × body weight

3.6mg × 54.431= 195.95mg

• mg/kg = 195.95/ 54.431 = 3.6 mg.
• The dose is safe to the patient