Question

A nurse is preparing to administer diazepam 7 mg IV bolus every 4 hr PRN muscle spasm. Available is diazepam injection 5 mg/ml. How many ml should the nurse administer per dose?

Answer 1

To administer a 7 mg dose of diazepam from a 5 mg/ml concentration, the nurse needs to give 1.4 ml of the medication.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the volume of diazepam injection at 5 mg/ml needed to administer a 7 mg dose, you use a simple proportion:

5 mg is to 1 ml as 7 mg is to X ml.

So, the equation would be (5 mg/1 ml) = (7 mg/X ml). To find X, you multiply both sides by X and then divide both sides by 5 mg to get:

X ml = (7 mg)/(5 mg/ml)

X = 1.4 ml. Therefore, the nurse should administer 1.4 ml of diazepam per dose for the 7 mg prescription.