Question

A doctor orders \( 90 \mathrm{mEq} \) of medication to be administered through an IV over 4 hours. The label on the IV bag says it contains \( 100 \mathrm{mEq} \) in \( 1 \mathrm{~L} \) of solution.

Answer 1

A physician's order for an intravenous delivery of a specific concentration of medication, such as KCl for hypokalemia, can be prepared through diluting a higher concentration stock solution if the exact concentration is not readily available in the emergency room.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a hospital emergency room, when a physician orders an intravenous (IV) delivery of 100 mL of 0.5% KCl for a patient suffering from hypokalemia (low potassium levels), medical staff would typically locate an IV bag with the specified concentration. However, if the precise concentration is not available, medical personnel are trained to perform dilutions to achieve the required concentration. For example, if a stock solution is 10.0% KCl and a 0.50% solution is needed, the calculation would be: (10%) V1 = (0.50%)(100 mL), resulting in V1 = 5 mL. After adding this 5 mL of stock solution to a sufficient amount of diluent, the total volume is brought up to 100 mL to create the desired 0.5% solution. This practice of adjusting fluid and electrolyte concentrations is crucial to safely administer IV drugs and compounds, as the overall concentration of electrolytes in intravenous fluids must closely match those of the body fluids to maintain physiological balance.