The primary healthcare provider prescribes a cough syrup of 0.4 g every 4 hours. The dosage strength of the syrup is 100 mg/5 mL. The medication bottle contains a measuring spoon that measures in teaspoons and tablespoons. How many teaspoons will the nurse instruct the client to take?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To solve this problem, the nurse needs to convert the prescribed dose from grams to milligrams, and then calculate how many teaspoons the client should take based on the dosage strength of the syrup.
Step 1: Convert grams to milligrams
The prescribed dose is 0.4 grams. To convert grams to milligrams, multiply by 1000: 0.4 g×1000=400 mg0.4 \, \text{g} \times 1000 = 400 \, \text{mg}0.4g×1000=400mg
Step 2: Determine how many milliliters provide 400 mg
The dosage strength of the syrup is 100 mg per 5 mL. To find out how many milliliters are needed to provide 400 mg, use the following proportion:100 mg5 mL=400 mgx mL\frac{100 \, \text{mg}}{5 \, \text{mL}} = \frac{400 \, \text{mg}}{x \, \text{mL}}5mL100mg=xmL400mg
Cross-multiply and solve for xxx:100 x=400×5100 \, x = 400 \times 5100x=400×5 100 x=2000100 \, x = 2000100x=2000 x=2000100=20 mLx = \frac{2000}{100} = 20 \, \text{mL}x=1002000=20mL
Step 3: Convert milliliters to teaspoons
Since 1 teaspoon equals 5 mL, divide the 20 mL by 5:20 mL5 mL/teaspoon=4 teaspoons\frac{20 \, \text{mL}}{5 \, \text{mL/teaspoon}} = 4 \, \text{teaspoons}5mL/teaspoon20mL=4teaspoons
Answer: The client should take 4 teaspoons of the cough syrup every 4 hours.
Explanation:
In this scenario, the nurse is given a prescription of 0.4 g of cough syrup every 4 hours, and the syrup’s strength is 100 mg per 5 mL. The first step is converting 0.4 g to milligrams, which equals 400 mg. To calculate how many milliliters are required to achieve a 400 mg dose, the nurse sets up a proportion based on the strength of the syrup. The calculation reveals that 20 mL of the syrup is needed to provide the required dose. Finally, because 1 teaspoon equals 5 mL, the nurse determines that 4 teaspoons will provide the necessary dose of 20 mL.
This approach ensures the correct dose is administered safely and effectively, which is critical for proper therapeutic outcomes and preventing underdosing or overdosing. Proper conversion and understanding of medication measurement are essential for safe nursing practice.