Question

A health care provider orders 250 mg of an antibiotic suspension. The label on the suspension reads "500 mg/5 mL." How much would the nurse administer?

Answer 1

To deliver a 250 mg dose of an antibiotic with a concentration of 500 mg/5 mL, the nurse must administer 2.5 mL of the suspension.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves the conversion of units to administer the correct dosage of medication. The healthcare provider has ordered 250 mg of an antibiotic. The label indicates a concentration of 500 mg of the antibiotic in every 5 mL of the suspension. To find the volume to administer, we set up a proportion where, if 500 mg is to 5 mL, then 250 mg is to X mL.

Using cross multiplication, we get:
500 mg / 5 mL = 250 mg / X mL
X = (250 mg × 5 mL) / 500 mg
X = 1250 / 500
X = 2.5 mL

Therefore, the nurse would administer 2.5 mL of the antibiotic suspension to deliver the prescribed 250 mg dose.