A nurse is preparing to administer prednisone 15 mg PO to a client who has rheumatoid arthritis. Available is prednisone 10 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Round the answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To administer 15 mg of prednisone using 10 mg tablets, the nurse needs to calculate the number of tablets required. Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Determine the Dosage Needed: The physician has prescribed 15 mg of prednisone.
- Identify Available Medication: The medication available is prednisone 10 mg tablets.
Calculation:
To find out how many tablets are needed, use the formula:
[ \text{Number of Tablets} = \frac{\text{Desired Dose}}{\text{Tablet Strength}} ]
Plugging in the values:
[ \text{Number of Tablets} = \frac{15 \text{ mg}}{10 \text{ mg/tablet}} = 1.5 \text{ tablets} ]
So, the nurse should administer 1.5 tablets of prednisone.
Explanation:
Prednisone is a corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The dosage must be precise to ensure therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing potential side effects.
In this case, the prescribed dose of 15 mg is higher than the strength of a single tablet, which is 10 mg. Therefore, to achieve the correct dose, two tablets would be too much (20 mg), and one tablet would be insufficient. By administering 1.5 tablets, the nurse accurately delivers the 15 mg dose prescribed.
Rounding and Precision:
The answer 1.5 tablets is rounded to the nearest tenth. In medication calculations, it’s crucial to be as accurate as possible to avoid dosing errors. The use of decimal points ensures precision, especially when the dose does not neatly correspond to whole tablets.
By administering the correct number of tablets, the nurse helps manage the client’s condition effectively while maintaining safety standards.