Haldol (haloperidol) 5.0 mg PO tid was ordered for a patient who is agitated.
Which action should a nurse take before administering the medication?
Discuss the use of PO with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of tid with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of Haldol with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of the trailing zero with the healthcare provider.
The Correct Answer is D
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.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
The gt/min is 25.
This answer is correct because it is based on a simple formula and calculation. The nurse should use the following formula to calculate the gt/min:
gt/min = (Volume in mL x Drop factor in gt/mL) / Time in min
Plugging in the given values, the nurse should get:
gt/min = (100 mL x 15 gt/mL) / 60 min
gt/min = 25
Therefore, the gt/min is 25.
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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