A nurse is preparing to administer potassium chloride elixir 20 mEq/day PO to divide equally every 12 hr. Available is 6.7 mEq/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (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 determine the correct dose of potassium chloride elixir to administer every 12 hours, follow these steps:
- Determine the Total Daily Dose:
The total daily dose prescribed is 20 mEq of potassium chloride. Since this dose is to be administered every 12 hours, the dose needs to be divided into two equal doses. [
\text{Dose per administration} = \frac{\text{Total Daily Dose}}{2} = \frac{20 \text{ mEq}}{2} = 10 \text{ mEq}
] - Find the Concentration of the Elixir:
The concentration of the elixir is 6.7 mEq per 5 mL. To find out how many mEq are in 1 mL, divide the total mEq by the volume in mL: [
\text{Concentration} = \frac{6.7 \text{ mEq}}{5 \text{ mL}} = 1.34 \text{ mEq/mL}
] - Calculate the Volume Needed for Each Dose:
To determine the volume required to provide 10 mEq, use the concentration formula: [
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Dose Required (mEq)}}{\text{Concentration (mEq/mL)}}
] Plug in the values: [
\text{Volume} = \frac{10 \text{ mEq}}{1.34 \text{ mEq/mL}} \approx 7.46 \text{ mL}
] - Round to the Nearest Tenth:
The calculated volume is approximately 7.46 mL. When rounding to the nearest tenth, it becomes 7.5 mL.
Therefore, the nurse should administer 7.5 mL of the potassium chloride elixir per dose every 12 hours.
Explanation:
To ensure proper dosing, it is crucial to first determine the total amount of medication needed over 24 hours and then divide this amount according to the frequency of administration. The concentration of the medication allows for the calculation of the volume required to achieve the prescribed dose. Rounding is applied to ensure practical measurement and administration. Accurate calculation and rounding help avoid dosing errors and ensure the patient receives the correct amount of medication.