The healthcare provider prescribes enoxaparin sodium 80 mg subcutaneously twice daily. The nurse is preparing a preloaded 1 mL syringe labeled, ‘enoxaparin sodium injection, USP 60 mg/0.6 mL’. How many mL should the nurse administer?
(Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine how many milliliters (mL) of enoxaparin sodium the nurse should administer, follow these steps:
- Understand the prescription and available medication:
- Prescription: Enoxaparin sodium 80 mg subcutaneously twice daily.
- Available medication: Enoxaparin sodium 60 mg/0.6 mL in a preloaded syringe.
- Calculate the dose needed from the available medication:
- The concentration of the available medication is 60 mg in 0.6 mL.
- Set up a proportion to find the volume needed for 80 mg:Concentration=60 mg0.6 mL\text{Concentration} = \frac{60 \text{ mg}}{0.6 \text{ mL}}Concentration=0.6 mL60 mg Required volume (mL)=80 mgConcentration\text{Required volume (mL)} = \frac{80 \text{ mg}}{\text{Concentration}}Required volume (mL)=Concentration80 mg Required volume (mL)=80 mg60 mg×0.6 mL\text{Required volume (mL)} = \frac{80 \text{ mg}}{60 \text{ mg}} \times 0.6 \text{ mL}Required volume (mL)=60 mg80 mg×0.6 mL
- Perform the calculation:Required volume (mL)=8060×0.6\text{Required volume (mL)} = \frac{80}{60} \times 0.6Required volume (mL)=6080×0.6 Required volume (mL)=1.333×0.6\text{Required volume (mL)} = 1.333 \times 0.6Required volume (mL)=1.333×0.6 Required volume (mL)=0.8 mL\text{Required volume (mL)} = 0.8 \text{ mL}Required volume (mL)=0.8 mL
Therefore, the nurse should administer 0.8 mL of enoxaparin sodium.
Explanation
Enoxaparin sodium is a low molecular weight heparin used as an anticoagulant. It’s essential to administer the correct dose to avoid complications such as bleeding or thrombosis. The medication comes in a preloaded syringe with a specific concentration (60 mg in 0.6 mL), which is different from the dose prescribed (80 mg).
To administer the prescribed dose, you need to adjust the volume based on the concentration of the available medication. By setting up a proportion, you calculate the exact amount of the medication that corresponds to the prescribed dose.
First, you find out how much 1 mg of the medication is in mL (which is 0.6 mL60 mg=0.01 mL/mg\frac{0.6 \text{ mL}}{60 \text{ mg}} = 0.01 \text{ mL/mg}60 mg0.6 mL=0.01 mL/mg). Then, multiply this by the required dose of 80 mg to get the volume needed. This ensures that the patient receives the correct amount of medication, which is crucial for effective treatment and safety.