A nurse is preparing to administer citalopram 30 mg PO to a client who has major depression.

Available in citalopram 20 mg tablets.

How many tablets should the nurse administer?
(Round the answer to the nearest tenth. Use a leading zero if it applies.)

Step 1 is to determine the amount of citalopram that needs to be administered, which is 30 mg.

Step 2 is to calculate the number of tablets needed to deliver this dose. This is done using the formula:

Dose (mg) ÷ Strength per tablet (mg/tab)

Given that each tablet contains 20 mg, we calculate:

30 mg ÷ 20 mg/tab = 1.5 tablets

Therefore, the nurse should administer 1.5 tablets of citalopram.

Choice A rationale:

Switching brands of phenytoin can lead to variations in drug absorption and serum drug levels, potentially leading to a loss of seizure control or toxicity. Therefore, this is not a correct instruction.

Choice B rationale:

Altering the phenytoin administration regimen each week can lead to fluctuations in serum drug levels, potentially leading to a loss of seizure control or toxicity. Therefore, this is not a correct instruction.

Choice C rationale:

Phenytoin does not turn urine blue. This is a side effect associated with some other medications, but not phenytoin. Therefore, this is not a correct instruction.

Choice D rationale:

Alcohol can increase serum phenytoin levels, potentially leading to toxicity. Therefore, this is a correct instruction.

So, the correct answer is D. Alcohol increases the chance of phenytoin toxicity.