Question

A client is prescribed erythromycin (E-mycin) 400 mg oral suspension

every 4 hours. The medication available is 100 mg/5 mL. How many mL will
the practical nurse administer to the client for each dose

Answer 1

To administer the correct dose of erythromycin oral suspension, which is 400 mg prescribed every 4 hours with a concentration of 100 mg/5 mL, the nurse needs to give 20 mL of the suspension for each dose.

Step-by-step explanation:

A student needs to know how many milliliters of erythromycin oral suspension to administer per dose if a client is prescribed 400 mg every 4 hours and the medication available is 100 mg/5 mL. To calculate the amount to administer, we can set up a simple proportion.

The prescribed dose is 400 mg, and the available medication concentration is 100 mg per 5 mL. So, for every 100 mg, the patient should receive 5 mL. If the patient needs 400 mg, we simply multiply the volume by 4 (since 400 mg is 4 times 100 mg), which gives us 5 mL x 4 = 20 mL.

Calculation:

(100 mg / 5 mL) = (400 mg / X mL)
X = (400 mg x 5 mL) / 100 mg
X = 20 mL

Therefore, the practical nurse will administer 20 mL of the erythromycin oral suspension for each dose.