A nurse is preparing to administer diazepam 0.3 mg/kg IV bolus to a toddler who weighs 24 Ib.

A nurse is preparing to administer diazepam 0.3 mg/kg IV bolus to a toddler who weighs 24 Ib. Available is diazepam injection 5 mg/mL. How many mL should the nurse administer? (Round the answer to the nearest hundredth. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

The Correct answer and Explanation is:

To determine how many milliliters of diazepam the nurse should administer, follow these steps:

1. Convert the toddler’s weight from pounds to kilograms:
   • Weight in pounds = 24 lb
   • Conversion factor = 1 lb = 0.4536 kg
   Weight in kg=24 lb×0.4536 kg/lb=10.8864 kg\text{Weight in kg} = 24 \text{ lb} \times 0.4536 \text{ kg/lb} = 10.8864 \text{ kg}Weight in kg=24 lb×0.4536 kg/lb=10.8864 kgRounding this to the nearest hundredth:Weight in kg≈10.89 kg\text{Weight in kg} \approx 10.89 \text{ kg}Weight in kg≈10.89 kg
2. Calculate the required dose of diazepam based on the weight:
   • Dose required = 0.3 mg/kg
   Total dose=10.89 kg×0.3 mg/kg=3.267 mg\text{Total dose} = 10.89 \text{ kg} \times 0.3 \text{ mg/kg} = 3.267 \text{ mg}Total dose=10.89 kg×0.3 mg/kg=3.267 mgRounding this to the nearest hundredth:Total dose≈3.27 mg\text{Total dose} \approx 3.27 \text{ mg}Total dose≈3.27 mg
3. Determine the volume of diazepam to be administered using the concentration:
   • Concentration of diazepam = 5 mg/mL
   Volume required=Total doseConcentration=3.27 mg5 mg/mL=0.654 mL\text{Volume required} = \frac{\text{Total dose}}{\text{Concentration}} = \frac{3.27 \text{ mg}}{5 \text{ mg/mL}} = 0.654 \text{ mL}Volume required=ConcentrationTotal dose​=5 mg/mL3.27 mg​=0.654 mLRounding this to the nearest hundredth:Volume required≈0.65 mL\text{Volume required} \approx 0.65 \text{ mL}Volume required≈0.65 mL

Summary:

The nurse should administer 0.65 mL of diazepam.

Explanation:

To arrive at this dosage, start by converting the toddler’s weight from pounds to kilograms, as the prescribed dose is based on the weight in kilograms. After calculating the weight in kilograms, the required dose is computed by multiplying the weight by the dose per kilogram. Given the concentration of the diazepam solution, you then calculate the volume needed to deliver the prescribed dose. Proper rounding is crucial in clinical settings to ensure precise administration and to prevent errors.