A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin 750 mcg IV bolus. How many mg 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 convert micrograms (mcg) to milligrams (mg), you need to use the following relationship:1 mg=1000 mcg1 \text{ mg} = 1000 \text{ mcg}1 mg=1000 mcg
Step-by-step calculation:
- Start with the given dose in micrograms (mcg):
750 mcg. - Convert mcg to mg using the conversion factor:
To convert micrograms to milligrams, divide the micrograms by 1000:750 mcg÷1000=0.75 mg750 \text{ mcg} \div 1000 = 0.75 \text{ mg}750 mcg÷1000=0.75 mg
Thus, the nurse should administer 0.75 mg of digoxin.
Explanation (300 words):
Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside commonly used to treat conditions like atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and heart failure. It works by increasing the force of the heart’s contractions and regulating heart rhythms. Administering the correct dosage is crucial due to digoxin’s narrow therapeutic range, meaning even small deviations in dosage can lead to either underdosing or toxicity.
The problem requires the nurse to convert a dose of digoxin from micrograms (mcg) to milligrams (mg). Understanding the relationship between these two units is key. There are 1000 micrograms in 1 milligram, so to convert mcg to mg, you divide the number of micrograms by 1000.
For this calculation:
- The ordered dose is 750 mcg.
- To convert to mg, divide 750 mcg by 1000, resulting in 0.75 mg.
Since medication dosage calculations must often be rounded to the nearest hundredth for accuracy, and in this case, 0.75 mg is already rounded correctly, no further rounding is necessary. Leading zeros are important for clarity and safety when the dose is less than 1 mg, so the correct dose is written as 0.75 mg, with no trailing zeros to avoid errors.
Accurately converting and rounding doses ensures patient safety, especially with medications like digoxin, where the potential for serious side effects exists if the dose is incorrect. Therefore, careful attention to detail is essential in every step of the calculation.