Question

A nurse is preparing to administer potassium chloride 15 mEq PO every 12 hours. The available potassium chloride liquid is 20 mEq/15 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose?

A) 10 mL
B) 15 mL
C) 20 mL
D) 25 mL

Answer 1

To calculate the volume of potassium chloride to administer, a proportion is set up based on the given concentration. After solving, it is found that the nurse should administer 11.25 mL, but practical considerations might require rounding to a whole number, which suggests discussing the appropriate dose to administer with medical personnel.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking how to calculate the volume of potassium chloride liquid a nurse should administer if the prescribed dose is 15 mEq and the concentration of the liquid is 20 mEq/15 mL. To find the answer, we set up a proportion:

(20 mEq / 15 mL) = (15 mEq / X mL)

By cross-multiplying, we obtain:

20 mEq * X mL = 15 mEq * 15 mL

X = (15 mEq * 15 mL) / 20 mEq

X = 225 / 20

X = 11.25 mL

However, since we need a practical dosage amount for the nurse to administer, we would round to the nearest whole number. Therefore, the nurse should administer 11 mL per dose, which is not an option in the multiple choices given and may indicate a typo in the question or the need to discuss with medical personnel for the appropriate measure to administer, considering clinical guidelines on rounding doses.