The healthcare provider prescribes 0.075 mg of levothyroxine by mouth (PO) daily. The medication is labeled, “50 mcg tablets.” How many tablets should the nurse administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
To determine how many tablets of levothyroxine to administer, we first need to convert the prescribed dosage from milligrams (mg) to micrograms (mcg), since the tablets are labeled in micrograms.
Step 1: Convert mg to mcg
1 mg equals 1,000 mcg. Therefore:
[
0.075 \, \text{mg} \times 1000 \, \frac{\text{mcg}}{\text{mg}} = 75 \, \text{mcg}
]
Step 2: Calculate the number of tablets needed
Next, we find out how many 50 mcg tablets are needed to achieve a total of 75 mcg. We use the formula:
[
\text{Number of tablets} = \frac{\text{Total mcg prescribed}}{\text{mcg per tablet}}
]
Substituting in the values we have:
[
\text{Number of tablets} = \frac{75 \, \text{mcg}}{50 \, \text{mcg/tablet}} = 1.5 \, \text{tablets}
]
Step 3: Rounding
Since the question specifies to round to the nearest tenth, 1.5 tablets remains as is because it is already at one decimal place.
Final Answer
Therefore, the nurse should administer 1.5 tablets of levothyroxine.
Explanation
Levothyroxine is a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) used in the treatment of hypothyroidism. Accurate dosing is crucial to ensure that the patient receives the appropriate amount of medication for optimal therapeutic effects. When calculating doses, especially in micrograms, it is important to convert units correctly and to consider the tablet strength provided.
In this case, we first converted the prescribed amount from mg to mcg, since the medication label provides the dosage in mcg. Understanding these conversions is essential for nurses and healthcare providers, as they often have to adjust doses based on a patient’s specific needs. The calculation confirms that administering 1.5 tablets is the correct approach to meet the prescribed dose of 75 mcg. Proper administration ensures effective treatment while minimizing the risk of underdosing or overdosing, which can lead to adverse effects or inadequate symptom control.