A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 350 mg PO

A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 350 mg PO. Available is amoxicillin 250 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer? (Round to the nearest whole number.) mL.

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

To determine the amount of amoxicillin in milliliters (mL) that the nurse should administer, follow these steps:

Calculation

1. Understand the Prescription and Available Solution:
   • Prescription: Amoxicillin 350 mg (by mouth).
   • Available solution: Amoxicillin 250 mg/5 mL.
2. Calculate the Dose in mL Required:To find out how many milliliters are needed to provide the prescribed dose, use the following proportion:Dose (mL)=Prescribed Dose (mg)×Volume of Available Solution (mL)Amount of Amoxicillin in Available Solution (mg)\text{Dose (mL)} = \frac{\text{Prescribed Dose (mg)} \times \text{Volume of Available Solution (mL)}}{\text{Amount of Amoxicillin in Available Solution (mg)}}Dose (mL)=Amount of Amoxicillin in Available Solution (mg)Prescribed Dose (mg)×Volume of Available Solution (mL)​Here, we have:
   • Prescribed Dose = 350 mg
   • Amount of Amoxicillin in Available Solution = 250 mg
   • Volume of Available Solution = 5 mL
   Substitute these values into the formula:Dose (mL)=350 mg×5 mL250 mg\text{Dose (mL)} = \frac{350 \text{ mg} \times 5 \text{ mL}}{250 \text{ mg}}Dose (mL)=250 mg350 mg×5 mL​ Dose (mL)=1750250=7 mL\text{Dose (mL)} = \frac{1750}{250} = 7 \text{ mL}Dose (mL)=2501750​=7 mL

Explanation

This calculation helps ensure that the correct volume of medication is administered to the patient. The key here is understanding the concentration of the medication solution and the required dose.

1. Convert the Prescription Dose to Match the Available Solution’s Units:
   • The prescribed dose of 350 mg needs to be matched to the concentration of the available solution, which is 250 mg per 5 mL.
2. Set Up the Proportion:
   • Using the given concentration (250 mg/5 mL), calculate how much volume is needed to provide 350 mg.
3. Calculate the Required Volume:
   • The required volume is computed by multiplying the prescribed dose by the volume of the available solution and then dividing by the concentration of the solution. This results in 7 mL.
4. Round the Answer Appropriately:
   • In this case, no rounding is needed as the answer is a whole number.

Thus, the nurse should administer 7 mL of the amoxicillin solution to provide the required dose of 350 mg.