A nurse is preparing to administer haloperidol 19,000 mcg PO to a school-age child who has Tourete’s syndrome. The nurse should recognize that this is equivalent to how many g? (Round the answer to the nearest thousandth. Use a leading zero if applicable. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To convert the dose of haloperidol from micrograms (mcg) to grams (g), follow these steps:
- Understand the conversion factors:
- 1 gram (g) = 1,000,000 micrograms (mcg)
- To convert from micrograms to grams, you divide the number of micrograms by 1,000,000.
- Perform the conversion:
- The dose to be converted is 19,000 mcg.
- Use the conversion factor: ( \text{grams} = \frac{\text{micrograms}}{1,000,000} )
- Substitute the given value: ( \text{grams} = \frac{19,000}{1,000,000} )
- Calculate the result:
- ( \text{grams} = 0.019 )
- Round the result to the nearest thousandth:
- The result is already at the thousandth place (0.019), so no additional rounding is required.
Explanation:
Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medication commonly used to manage symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome, which include tics and vocal outbursts. When administering medications, it’s crucial to ensure that the dose is converted correctly to avoid potential errors.
In this scenario, the dosage of haloperidol is provided in micrograms, which is a unit of measurement often used for small quantities of medication. Converting this dosage to grams is necessary for understanding and confirming the appropriate dose in a unit that may be used in different contexts, such as pharmaceutical formulations or specific instructions.
By dividing 19,000 micrograms by 1,000,000, you get the dosage in grams. The result of 0.019 grams represents the equivalent dosage in grams. Accurate conversion is essential in nursing practice to ensure that patients receive the correct amount of medication, which directly impacts the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. Ensuring that the conversion is correct helps prevent dosage errors that could lead to adverse effects or inadequate treatment outcomes.