Question

A patient has an order for diphenhydramine elixir 12.5 mg orally every 6 hours for 24 hours, and then as needed for rash. The nurse only has access to diphenhydramine in a 50 mg/mL intravenous (IV) injectable vial. The nurse draws up 0.25 mL into a syringe to administer to the patient. Which principle of medication administration has the nurse violated?

Answer 1

The nurse violated the principle of medication administration known as the principle of dosage calculation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse violated the principle of medication administration known as the principle of dosage calculation. This principle requires healthcare professionals to accurately calculate the appropriate dose for a patient based on the ordered dose and the available concentration of the medication. In this case, the nurse should have calculated the appropriate volume of the 50 mg/mL diphenhydramine IV injectable solution needed to administer the ordered dose of 12.5 mg orally.

One way to calculate the volume of the 50 mg/mL diphenhydramine IV injectable solution would be to use the following formula:

Volume to administer (mL) = Ordered dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL)

Using this formula, the nurse would calculate:

Volume to administer (mL) = 12.5 mg / 50 mg/mL = 0.25 mL

Therefore, the nurse correctly drew up 0.25 mL of the diphenhydramine IV injectable solution to administer to the patient.