Question

A nurse is preparing to administer chlorpromazine 0.55 mg/kg PO to an adolescent who weighs 110 lb. Available is chlorpromazine syrup 10 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer?

A. 5 mL
B. 10 mL
C. 15 mL
D. 20 mL

Answer 1

To administer chlorpromazine syrup to an adolescent, the nurse should calculate the dose based on the weight of the patient and the dosage per weight. Then, the volume of the syrup can be determined by dividing the dose by the concentration of the syrup.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the mL of chlorpromazine syrup to be administered, we need to calculate the dose based on the weight of the patient. First, convert the weight of the patient from pounds to kilograms. 1 lb is equal to 0.45 kg, so an adolescent who weighs 110 lb would weigh approximately 50 kg (110 lb x 0.45 kg/lb). Next, calculate the dose by multiplying the weight in kg by the dose per kg. In this case, the dose is 0.55 mg/kg, so the calculated dose would be 50 kg x 0.55 mg/kg = 27.5 mg.

Now, we need to determine the volume (mL) of the chlorpromazine syrup that contains 27.5 mg of the medication. The available syrup has a concentration of 10 mg/5 mL, which can be simplified to 2 mg/mL (10 mg/5 mL = 2 mg/mL). To find the volume, divide the dose (27.5 mg) by the concentration (2 mg/mL). 27.5 mg ÷ 2 mg/mL = 13.75 mL.

Therefore, the nurse should administer approximately 14 mL of the chlorpromazine syrup to the adolescent.