Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 80%
Simulated
A nurse is preparing to administer potassium chloride 30 mEq PO daily. The amount available is potassium chloride 20 mEq/15mL. How many mL should the nurse administer?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
To determine the correct amount of mL to administer, the nurse must calculate the ratio between the prescribed dose and the concentration of the solution. In this case, 30 mEq is needed, and the solution concentration is 20 mEq/15mL. To find how many mL to administer, set up a proportion: 20 mEq/15mL = 30 mEq/x mL. Cross-multiply to get 20x = 450, then solve for x by dividing both sides by 20, giving x = 22.5 mL. Since the nurse cannot administer half a mL, rounding up is recommended, making the correct answer 23 mL (choice A is incorrect as it doesn't account for the rounding).