Physician orderd dose: Cimetidine 0.6 g
Dose available: 200 mg/ tablet
How many tablets should be administred?
The correct answer and explanation is :
Calculation:
- Convert the prescribed dose to mg
- 0.6 g = 600 mg
- Determine how many tablets are needed
- Each tablet contains 200 mg
- Required tablets: 600 mg ÷ 200 mg/tablet = 3 tablets
Answer: 3 tablets
Explanation:
Medication dosage calculations are crucial in healthcare to ensure patient safety and treatment efficacy. In this case, the physician prescribed Cimetidine 0.6 g, which we must administer using the available 200 mg tablets.
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
- Understanding Units and Conversions
- The prescribed dose is in grams (g), but the available medication is in milligrams (mg).
- Since 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg), converting 0.6 g to mg:
[
0.6 \times 1000 = 600 \text{ mg}
]
- Determine the Required Tablets
- Each available tablet contains 200 mg of Cimetidine.
- To determine the number of tablets needed:
[
600 \text{ mg} \div 200 \text{ mg/tablet} = 3 \text{ tablets}
]
- Ensuring Accuracy in Medication Administration
- Double-check calculations before administering medication.
- Confirm the patient’s condition and verify the prescription to avoid errors.
- Follow hospital protocols to prevent overdosing or underdosing.
Proper dosage calculation prevents adverse drug reactions and ensures optimal therapeutic effects. Healthcare professionals should always recheck calculations and use the “five rights” of medication administration:
- Right patient
- Right drug
- Right dose
- Right route
- Right time