Question

The physician orders 4000 units of Heparin SC to a patient. The stock dose available is a uni-dose vial containing 5,000 units/mL. The nurse should give ___mL with each dose? Respond with a decimal in your answer and write answer based on best practice and agency protocols to ensure a safe dose. Do not include units of measurement in your answer.

Answer 1

To administer a 4000 units dose of Heparin using a stock solution of 5000 units/mL, the nurse should give 0.8 mL of the medication per dose.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physician has ordered a dosage of 4000 units of Heparin SC for the patient. With the stock dose available being a uni-dose vial containing 5000 units/mL, the calculation to determine the volume of medication the nurse should give is straightforward:

The formula to use is (Dose ordered / Stock dose) x Stock volume. Plugging in the values gives us (4000 units / 5000 units/mL) x 1 mL = 0.8 mL. Therefore, the nurse should administer 0.8 mL of the Heparin with each dose, following best practice and agency protocols to ensure a safe dose.