A dose of 4500mg of medication has ordered for a patient. The medication comes in 5g/0.3mL. What volume will you give the patient? (Round to the nearest tenth) A dose of 4500mg of medication has ordered for a patient. The medication comes in 5g/0.3mL. What volume will you give the patient? (Round to the nearest tenth)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Step 1: Convert units for consistency
The medication concentration is 5g per 0.3mL. Since 1g = 1000mg, we convert the concentration to milligrams: 5g = 5000mg, so 5000mg per 0.3mL.
Step 2: Set up the proportion
We need to administer 4500mg of the medication. To find the volume (x) that corresponds to this dose, we use the equation:
5000mg0.3mL=4500mgx\frac{5000mg}{0.3mL} = \frac{4500mg}{x}
Step 3: Solve for x
Cross multiply:
5000mg×x=4500mg×0.3mL5000mg \times x = 4500mg \times 0.3mL
5000x=13505000x = 1350
Divide both sides by 5000:
x=13505000=0.27mLx = \frac{1350}{5000} = 0.27mL
Step 4: Round to the nearest tenth
Rounding 0.27mL to the nearest tenth:
0.3mL\mathbf{0.3mL}
Explanation
This calculation ensures that the patient receives the correct dosage in a safe and effective manner. Medication concentrations are expressed in units like mg/mL or g/mL to standardize administration and prevent errors. Healthcare professionals must carefully convert units and perform accurate calculations to ensure patient safety. Rounding appropriately is crucial, especially for small-volume medications that require precision. In this case, rounding to 0.3mL ensures accuracy while considering practical administration methods.
