A nursing officer is administering medicines to a patient which includes drug A available in 100 mg/ml and the desired dose is 50 mg, drug B available in 100 mg/2ml and the desired dose is 25 mg, and drug C available in 0.2 mg/ml and the desired dose is 0.3 mg. How many total ml should be administered to the patient?

1. A

   1.5 ml

2. B

   2 ml

3. C

   2.5 ml

4. D

   3 ml

Appeared in: NORCET 2 - 2021 (shift-1)

Explanation

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• The core of this question is applying the standard drug calculation formula: (Desired Dose / Stock Strength) x Stock Volume.
• For Drug A, the calculation is (50 mg / 100 mg) x 1 ml, which equals 0.5 ml.
• For Drug B, the calculation is (25 mg / 100 mg) x 2 ml, which equals 0.5 ml.
• For Drug C, the calculation is (0.3 mg / 0.2 mg) x 1 ml, which equals 1.5 ml.
• The total volume is the sum of the individual volumes: 0.5 ml + 0.5 ml + 1.5 ml = 2.5 ml.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This value (1.5 ml) only represents the volume for Drug C, omitting the volumes for Drugs A and B.
• Option B: This value (2 ml) likely results from a calculation error, possibly by incorrectly calculating the volume for Drug C as 1 ml instead of 1.5 ml (0.5 + 0.5 + 1.0 = 2.0).
• Option D: This value (3 ml) is an overestimation and likely stems from significant miscalculation or rounding errors for one or more of the drugs.

Related Visual

• Visual 1: Infographic: A visual guide illustrating the 'Desired over Have times Volume' (D/H x V) formula with a clear example.
• Visual 2: Chart: A comparison of different syringe sizes (e.g., 1 ml, 3 ml, 5 ml) and when to use each for maximum accuracy, highlighting that a 3 ml or 5 ml syringe would be appropriate for the total volume of 2.5 ml.

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Drug Dosage Calculation to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Accurate medication calculation is a fundamental and critical nursing skill to prevent medication errors and ensure patient safety.
• Nurses must always adhere to the '10 Rights of Medication Administration,' which includes the Right Dose. Double-checking calculations, especially with high-alert medications, is a crucial safety practice.
• What if the drugs were incompatible? If the drugs cannot be mixed, the nurse would need to prepare three separate syringes and administer them individually, possibly flushing the line between administrations if given IV, to prevent adverse reactions.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the standard formula for dosage calculation: (Desired Dose / Stock Strength) x Stock Volume.
• Break the problem down. Address each drug (A, B, and C) one at a time.
• Carefully substitute the 'desired dose' and 'available stock' values into the formula for each drug to find its individual volume in ml.
• For Drug B, note that the stock is 100 mg in 2 ml. Use these numbers directly in the formula.
• After calculating the volume for all three drugs, sum them to get the total volume.
• Compare your final calculated total with the given options to select the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Drug Dosage Calculation
• Stem keywords: administering medicines, drug A, drug B, drug C, desired dose, available, total ml
• Lead-in keywords: How many

Question ID

Q-i8j_sQmTYxzwbQlx18gR

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