Deck 14: Drug Calculations

Question 1

The health care provider prescribes Digoxin 0.25 mg to be administered.When the nurse takes the medication from the client's supply,each tablet is 125 mcg.Using the fractional equation method,how many tablets would the nurse administer?
____ tablets

Answer 1

2
Rationale: Cross-multiply 125 X x = 250 X 1,which results in 125x = 250.Divide both sides by 125 in order to allow x to stand alone,resulting in x = 250 ÷ 125,so x = 2 tablets.Global Rationale: Cross-multiply 125 X x = 250 X 1,which results in 125x = 250.Divide both sides by 125 in order to allow x to stand alone,resulting in x = 250 ÷ 125,so x = 2 tablets.

Question 2

The nurse is using a 20-drop-per-mL IV solution set.In order to deliver 1,280 mL over 16 hours,how many drops per minute would the nurse set the IV to run?
____ drops per minute

Answer 2

27
Rationale: 25,600 ÷ 960 = 26.66 rounded to 27 drops per minute
Global Rationale: 25,600 ÷ 960 = 26.66 rounded to 27 drops per minute

Question 3

The health care provider prescribes Ampicillin 850 mg p.o.The medication is supplied as 1,000 mg per 5 mL.How many mL of medication would the nurse administer using the basic formula?

Answer 3

4.25
Rationale: The desired dose is 850 mg.The dose on hand is 1,000 mg,and the vehicle is 5 mL.The formula is D X V ÷ H,or 850 X 5 ÷ 1,000.850 X 5 = 4,250 ÷ 1,000 = 4.25
Global Rationale: The desired dose is 850 mg.The dose on hand is 1,000 mg,and the vehicle is 5 mL.The formula is D X V ÷ H,or 850 X 5 ÷ 1,000.850 X 5 = 4,250 ÷ 1,000 = 4.25

Question 4

The nurse is weighing a pediatric client who weighs 8.3 kilograms.The mother asks what that is in pounds and ounces.The nurse would tell the mother the child's weight in pounds is: ____ pounds.

Question 5

The nurse is caring for an infant requiring administration of intravenous (IV)solutions.Which equipment would the nurse use to administer the fluid safely?

A)Macrodrip infusion set
B)Microdrip infusion set
C)Macrodrip infusion set and IV pump
D)Microdrip infusion set and IV pump

Question 6

The health care provider prescribes Keflex 1 gram.The nurse finds Keflex is available in 250 mg per capsule.Using the dimensional analysis system,how many capsules will the nurse administer to the client?
____ capsules

Question 7

The health care provider prescribes 10 grains of medication.If the medication is calculated in milligrams,how many milligrams would the nurse administer to equal 10 grains?
____ mg

Question 8

The health care provider prescribes 3,000 mL of fluid to infuse daily.How many milliliters per hour would the nurse infuse for this client?
____ mL per hour

Question 9

The health care provider prescribes 1 teaspoon of medication for a client.The nurse converts the dosage to 5 milliliters of medication.Which conversion did the nurse complete to administer the medication to the client?

A)From the household system to the metric system
B)From apothecaries' system to the metric system
C)From the metric system to the household system
D)From the household system to the apothecaries' system

Question 10

The nurse administers 6 grams of medication.Which system of measurement is the nurse using to administer medications?

A)Metric
B)Apothecaries'
C)Household
D)Metric or apothecaries'

Question 11

The health care provider prescribes 0.2 mg/kg every 4 hours for the pediatric client who weighs 35 pounds.The medication is mixed 10 mg per 1 mL.How many mL of medication would the nurse administer for each dose?

Question 12

The nurse weighs the newborn infant and determines the weight to be 3.2 kilograms.How many grams does the newborn infant weigh?
____ grams

Question 13

The nurse working in a pediatric clinic assesses a child who weighs 14 pounds,8 ounces.The health care provider prescribes medications based on kilograms.How many kilograms does this child weigh?
____ kg

Question 14

The health care provider prescribes 1,500 milligrams of medication.The nurse finds tablets in the client's drawer that are 1 gram each.How many tablets will the nurse administer to the client?
____ Tablets

Question 15

The grain,the minim,and the dram are basic units of which system?

A)The metric system
B)The apothecaries' system
C)The household system
D)The North American system

Question 16

The health care provider prescribes 10 milliliters of medication to be administered to the child every 8 hours.The mother calls the clinic later in the day and asks how to measure 5 milliliters.The nurse would instruct the mother to administer how many teaspoons of the medication?
____ teaspoons

Question 17

Calculate the proper dosage based on body surface area for the pediatric child if the child's body surface area is 1.1 m² and the normal dosage of the medication is 80 mg for a body surface area of 1.7 m².____ mg

Question 18

The nurse is assisting with collecting dinner trays from the client's room.The client is on strict intake and output,recorded in milliliters.The client drank 8 ounces of milk,6 ounces of coffee,and 4 ounces of juice.How many milliliters will the nurse record for input?
____ mL

Question 19

The nurse is administering medications,and has an order to administer 2 tablespoons of medication.The medication cups used by the nurse have measurements in milliliters.How many milliliters of medication would the nurse administer to equal 2 tablespoons?

Question 20

The health care provider prescribes Solu-Medrol 100 mg.The medication is supplied as 125 mg in 2 mL.The nurse calculates the dosage using the ratio and proportion method.How many mL of medication would the nurse administer to equal 100 mg?
____ mL

Question 21

A client with an infusion pump is to receive an antibiotic in 50 mL of 0.9% NS over 30 minutes.How many mL/hour will the client receive?

Question 22

An IV of 1,000 mL D₅ 1/2 NS is to infuse from 0800 to 1600 (8 hr).The drop factor is 10 gtt/mL.The rate is set at 20 gtt/min.In 5 hours you notice that 700 mL has infused.Recalculate the flow rate for the remaining solution in gtt/min.

Question 23

Order: D₅W to infuse at 100 mL/hr.Drop factor: 10 gtt/mL.At what rate in gtt/min should the IV be regulated?

Question 24

The health care provider prescribes dopamine 5 micrograms per kilogram per minute.Dopamine is supplied as an IV solution of 400 mg in 500 mL of 5% dextrose.The client weighs 130 pounds.How many milliliters per hour will the nurse infuse to administer the prescribed dose?
____ mL per hour