Question

A client with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) begins active labor at 38 weeks gestation and receives a prescription for zidovudine 2 mg/kg IV, to be administered over 1 hour. The client weighs 185 lbs. Based on the client's weight, how many mg should the nurse prepare to administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

Answer 1

The nurse should prepare to administer 168 mg of zidovudine, calculated based on the client's weight of 185 lbs (converted to kg) and the prescription of 2 mg/kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the dose of zidovudine for the patient who weighs 185 lbs, we must first convert the patient’s weight to kilograms, since the prescription is based on weight in kilograms. To do this, we divide the weight in pounds by 2.2 pounds per kilogram. This gives us approximately 84.09 kg when rounded to the nearest hundredth. Using the dosage of 2 mg/kg, we multiply this by the patient’s weight in kg to find the dose in mg:

84.09 kg × 2 mg/kg = 168.18 mg

Per the instructions to round to the nearest whole number, the dose to be prepared and administered over 1 hour is 168 mg.

Administering antiretroviral medications such as zidovudine is crucial for managing HIV and reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission during childbirth. These treatments are part of a strategy to maintain the health of the mother and prevent the infection from passing to the newborn. Zidovudine is a type of antiretroviral medication used in this context, having been used for over 25 years in the battle against HIV.