A nurse is preparing to administer fentanyl 50 mcg IM to a client. Available is fentanyl 0.05 mg/mL. How many ml should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To determine how many milliliters of fentanyl the nurse should administer, follow these steps:
- Convert the dose from micrograms (mcg) to milligrams (mg):
- The prescribed dose is 50 mcg. Since 1 mg = 1000 mcg, convert 50 mcg to mg:
[
50 \, \text{mcg} \div 1000 = 0.05 \, \text{mg}
]
- Determine the concentration of the fentanyl solution:
- The available fentanyl concentration is 0.05 mg/mL.
- Calculate the volume required:
- Use the formula:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Dose (mg)}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}
] - Substitute the values:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{0.05 \, \text{mg}}{0.05 \, \text{mg/mL}} = 1 \, \text{mL}
]
Therefore, the nurse should administer 1 mL of fentanyl.
Explanation:
Fentanyl is a potent opioid used for pain management, and its administration requires precise calculations to ensure patient safety. The dose prescribed is 50 mcg, which is a common way to express small amounts of medication. Since the medication concentration available is given in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL), the conversion to milligrams is necessary for accurate dosage calculation.
To find out how much of the solution to administer, you need to use the concentration of the medication. The concentration tells you how many milligrams of fentanyl are in each milliliter of the solution. By dividing the required dose by this concentration, you determine the volume of solution needed to deliver the exact dose.
In this case, the dose in milligrams (0.05 mg) matches the concentration per milliliter, so administering 1 mL delivers the correct dose. Accurate dosage calculations are crucial to avoid underdosing or overdosing, which can lead to ineffective pain management or potentially dangerous side effects.