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A primary healthcare provider prescribes 14 units of insulin to a client.
What should a nurse do while administering this medication to the client?

A.

Administer 14 units of medication SubQ in a U-100 syringe

B.

Administer 14 units of medication SubQ in two divided doses in a U-100 syringe

C.

Administer 14 units of medication SubQ in one dose in a tuberculin syringe

D.

Administer 14 units of medication SubQ in the morning after breakfast in a tuberculin syringe

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. It is usually injected into the fat layer just under the skin (subcutaneous or SubQ) using a syringe and needle or a pen-like device². Insulin syringes are marked in units of insulin, not milliliters or cubic centimeters. The most common insulin syringe holds 1 mL of fluid and has markings for 100 units of insulin². A U-100 syringe means that for every 1 mL of fluid, there are 100 units of insulin³.
To administer 14 units of insulin, you would need to draw up 0.14 mL of fluid in a U-100 syringe. You would inject the insulin into your abdomen, upper arm, butocks, hip, or the front or side of the thigh¹. You would use a different area within the site each time you inject insulin to prevent lumps, swelling, or thickened skin¹.

The other options are incorrect because:

b) There is no need to divide the dose into two injections. This would increase the risk of infection and pain.


c) A tuberculin syringe is not designed for insulin administration. It is marked in milliliters or cubic centimeters, not units of insulin. Using a tuberculin syringe could result in an incorrect dose of insulin.


d) The timing of insulin administration depends on the type and duration of insulin. Some insulins are taken before meals, some are taken after meals, and some are taken once or twice a day. The primary healthcare provider should specify when to take the insulin.
 


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Related Questions

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

This action should be taken by the nurse before administering the medication because the use of a trailing zero after a decimal point (5.0 mg) is a common cause of medication errors and should be avoided. A trailing zero may be misread or misinterpreted as a larger dose (50 mg) or omited altogether, resulting in a 10-fold overdose or underdose, respectively. For example, when prescriptions have been writen for "Coumadin 1.0 mg," patients have received 10 mg in error. Therefore, the nurse should clarify the intended dose with the healthcare provider and use the correct notation (5 mg) without a trailing zero.


The other options are not appropriate actions because:


a) Discussing the use of PO (by mouth) with the healthcare provider is not necessary, as PO is a standard route of administration for Haldol (haloperidol) and does not pose a risk of confusion or error.

b) Discussing the use of tid (three times a day) with the healthcare provider is not necessary, as tid is a standard frequency of administration for Haldol and does not pose a risk of confusion or error.

c) Discussing the use of Haldol with the healthcare provider is not relevant to the question, as Haldol is the prescribed medication for the patient who is agitated and does not need to be changed or questioned by the nurse.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

the correct rate to administer the maintenance dose is 50 mL/hr.

Step 1: Determine the concentration of magnesium sulfate in the solution.

  • There are 40 grams of magnesium sulfate in 1 liter of solution.
  • 1 liter = 1000 mL.

Step 2: Calculate the concentration in grams per mL.

  • 40 grams ÷ 1000 mL = 0.04 grams per mL.
  • Result: 0.04 grams per mL.

Step 3: Determine the required dose per hour.

  • The physician ordered 2 grams per hour.

Step 4: Calculate the volume of solution needed to provide 2 grams of magnesium sulfate.

  • Required dose (2 grams) ÷ concentration (0.04 grams per mL) = volume in mL.
  • 2 grams ÷ 0.04 grams per mL = 50 mL.
  • Result: 50 mL.
  • The calculated rate is 50 mL/hr.

the correct rate to administer the maintenance dose is 50 mL/hr.

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