Question

A nurse is preparing to administer morphine 5 mg subcutaneous to a client. Available is morphine 10 mg/ml. How many ml should the nurse administer?

Answer 1

The nurse should administer 0.5 mL of the 10 mg/mL morphine solution to deliver a 5 mg dose of morphine.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate how many milliliters (mL) of morphine the nurse should administer, we use the dosage formula involving conversions:

Amount of morphine (ml) = Desired dose (mg) / Concentration of morphine (mg/ml)

In this case, the desired dose is 5 mg and the concentration of morphine is 10 mg/ml.

Dosage ordered / Concentration available = Volume to administer

In this case, the ordered dosage is 5 mg and the concentration available is 10 mg/mL. To find the volume to administer, divide the ordered dosage by the concentration:

5 mg / 10 mg/mL = 0.5 mL

Therefore, the nurse should administer 0.5 mL of the 10 mg/mL morphine solution to deliver a 5 mg dose.