A client has received a prescription for loratadine suspension, 10 mg to be taken orally once a day. The bottle is labeled as “Loratadine for Oral Suspension, USP 5 mg per 5 mL.” How many teaspoons should the nurse instruct the client to take? (Please enter the numerical value only.)
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The client should take 2 teaspoons.
Explanation:
To determine the correct dosage in teaspoons for loratadine suspension, we need to convert the prescribed dose of 10 mg into the volume of suspension needed, based on the concentration provided.
- Understand the Concentration:
The medication is labeled as “Loratadine for Oral Suspension, USP 5 mg per 5 mL.” This means that every 5 mL of the suspension contains 5 mg of loratadine. - Calculate the Required Volume:
The prescribed dose is 10 mg. To find out how many mL of the suspension are needed to provide this dose, we can set up a proportion using the concentration: [
\frac{5 \text{ mg}}{5 \text{ mL}} = \frac{10 \text{ mg}}{x \text{ mL}}
] Cross-multiplying gives us: [
5 \text{ mg} \cdot x \text{ mL} = 10 \text{ mg} \cdot 5 \text{ mL}
] Simplifying this leads to: [
5x = 50 \implies x = 10 \text{ mL}
] Thus, the client needs to take 10 mL of the loratadine suspension to achieve the prescribed dose of 10 mg. - Convert mL to Teaspoons:
We know that 1 teaspoon is equivalent to approximately 5 mL. To convert the required volume into teaspoons, we can use the following calculation: [
\text{Teaspoons} = \frac{\text{mL}}{5 \text{ mL/teaspoon}} = \frac{10 \text{ mL}}{5 \text{ mL/teaspoon}} = 2 \text{ teaspoons}
]
Conclusion:
In summary, the client should take 2 teaspoons of the loratadine suspension to ensure they receive the correct dosage of 10 mg. This calculation is essential for safe medication administration and ensuring that the patient receives the proper therapeutic effect.