A nurse is preparing to administer sertraline 50 mg PO once daily to a client who has depressive disorder.
Available is sertraline oral solution 20 mg/mL. How many mL 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 calculate the volume of sertraline oral solution needed for a dose of 50 mg, you can use the following formula:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Desired Dose (mg)}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}
]
In this case, the desired dose is 50 mg, and the concentration of the sertraline oral solution is 20 mg/mL. Plugging the values into the formula:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{50 \text{ mg}}{20 \text{ mg/mL}} = 2.5 \text{ mL}
]
Therefore, the nurse should administer 2.5 mL of sertraline oral solution.
Explanation
When administering medications, it’s crucial for nurses to understand how to calculate dosages accurately to ensure patient safety and effective treatment. Sertraline is an antidepressant belonging to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety disorders.
In this scenario, the nurse has a specific dose of sertraline that needs to be administered (50 mg). The formulation available is an oral solution with a concentration of 20 mg/mL. By using the formula, the nurse divides the total desired dose by the concentration of the solution to determine how many milliliters to give.
Correct rounding is also important in nursing practice. The answer is rounded to the nearest tenth, as required, and expressed with a leading zero (2.5 mL), while avoiding a trailing zero (2.50 mL), which can help prevent dosing errors in clinical practice.
Administering the correct dose of medication is vital, as underdosing can lead to inadequate treatment, while overdosing can result in adverse effects. Therefore, careful calculation and verification of medication doses are fundamental responsibilities of nursing professionals.