Question

The healthcare provider has ordered nicotine gum for a patient who is admitted to the inpatient facility and withdrawing from nicotine. The order reads: Nicorette 2 mg chewable gum PO every hour PRN not to exceed 30 pieces per 24-hour period. If the patient requests and receives one piece of nicotine gum every 3 hours, how many milligrams of nicotine will the patient receive in 24 hours?

a - 2 mg
b - 16 mg
c - 24 mg
d - 30 mg

Answer 1

The patient will receive 16 mg of nicotine over a 24-hour period if they take one 2 mg piece of Nicorette gum every 3 hours.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the total amount of nicotine received by a patient over a 24-hour period given the dosage frequency. The healthcare provider's order specifies Nicorette 2 mg chewable gum to be taken every hour as needed (PRN), but not to exceed 30 pieces in 24 hours. If the patient takes one piece of gum every 3 hours, this would result in 8 pieces of gum over a 24-hour period because 24 hours divided by 3 equals 8 times of administration.

Now, to find the total milligrams of nicotine received:

• 2 mg per piece of gum
• 8 pieces consumed in 24 hours

Therefore, multiply the dose per piece by the number of pieces:

2 mg × 8 = 16 mg of nicotine in a 24-hour period.