Final answer:
Potassium Chloride (KCl) should not be administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, only intravenously or as oral supplements. In an emergency setting, medical personnel would dilute a stock solution of KCl to achieve the ordered concentration rather than use a premixed IV bag.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potassium Chloride (KCl) can be administered intravenously and as oral potassium supplements but should not be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously due to the risk of causing tissue damage and intense pain at the injection site. Intravenous solutions of KCl are carefully prepared in medical settings to match the body's electrolyte concentrations. For instance, if an emergency room physician orders a 100 mL IV infusion of 0.5% KCl for hypokalemia, an aide would need to dilute a stock solution, performing a calculation to achieve the correct concentration, rather than finding a ready-made IV bag. It’s important to ensure this preparation is done precisely because an imbalance in electrolytes can have serious consequences for a patient’s health.
In the case of an emergency room, where a physician orders a specific concentration of KCl, a stock solution of 10% KCl may be diluted to the required 0.5% concentration. The required volume of the stock solution to achieve this would be calculated using the formula (10%) V1 = (0.5%)(100 mL). The desired concentration for medical purposes can be closely matched even with a slight change in the total volume after the addition of the stock solution.