Question

A patient is to receive cephalexin (Keflex) 500 mg PO. The pharmacy has sent 250-mg tablets. How many tablets does the nurse administer?

1. 1/2 tablet
2. 1 tablet
3. 1 1/2 tablets
4. 2 tablets

Answer 1

To meet the prescribed dose of 500mg cephalexin using 250-mg tablets, the nurse needs to administer two tablets.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient needs to receive 500mg of cephalexin, and there are 250-mg tablets available. To find out how many tablets the nurse should administer, we need to divide the required dose by the dosage strength per tablet:

500 mg ÷ 250 mg/tablet = 2 tablets

Therefore, the nurse should give the patient two tablets of cephalexin to meet the prescribed dose of 500mg.