A nurse is preparing to administer lorazepam 1 mg PO to an older adult client who has insomnia and who cannot swallow oral tablets.
Available is lorazepam oral solution 2 mg/mL. How many mL should the nurse plan to administer? (Round to the nearest tenth.
Use a leading zero if it applies.
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To determine how many milliliters (mL) of lorazepam oral solution should be administered, we need to use the available concentration of the solution to calculate the required volume for the prescribed dosage.
Step 1: Identify the prescribed dose and available concentration.
- Prescribed dose: 1 mg of lorazepam
- Available concentration: 2 mg/mL
Step 2: Set up the calculation.
We can use the formula:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{\text{Desired Dose (mg)}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}
]
Substituting in the values:
[
\text{Volume (mL)} = \frac{1 \text{ mg}}{2 \text{ mg/mL}} = 0.5 \text{ mL}
]
Step 3: Round to the nearest tenth.
In this case, 0.5 mL is already in the correct format and does not require further rounding.
Step 4: Administration.
The nurse should prepare to administer 0.5 mL of the lorazepam oral solution.
Explanation of Calculation:
This calculation is based on understanding how medication dosages are calculated in clinical practice. The concentration of the medication is critical for determining how much of the liquid formulation is needed to deliver the correct dose. Since the older adult client has difficulty swallowing tablets, using an oral solution is appropriate, as it can be easier to ingest and allows for precise dosing.
Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. It’s essential to ensure accurate dosing, especially in older adults, who may be more sensitive to medications and have a higher risk of side effects. Rounding is also a critical part of medication administration to ensure safety and accuracy; in this case, 0.5 mL is already at one decimal place, meeting standard rounding conventions. Proper preparation and administration of medications contribute to effective patient care and safety.