Deck 5: Injectable Medication Calculations

Question 1

Does the nurse have to measure the dose in a prefilled syringe? If so, why? If not, why not?

Answer 1

The dose must be measured. Prefilled syringes often contain a small amount of air and extra medication.

Question 2

What is the purpose of a filter needle? When is it used? Can the filter needle be used to inject the patient?

Answer 2

A filter needle is used to withdraw medication from glass ampules to prevent particles of glass from entering the syringe. The filter needle must be discarded and a new sterile non-filter needle is used to inject the medication in the patient.

Question 3

What is the reason for mixing two or more medications in one syringe for an intramuscular injection?

Answer 3

The patient is spared the discomfort of two separate injections. One of the medications may extend the beneficial effect of the other or reduce uncomfortable side effects of the other medication, such as nausea or vomiting.

Question 4

What is the name and abbreviation for the route used for skin test injections?

Question 5

Can the nurse legally administer a medication after the expiration date?

Question 6

What is the importance of writing a leading 0 in front of a decimal number less than one?

Question 7

Why shouldn't needles be recapped?

Question 8

A skin test is administered with which size syringe?

Question 9

State the approved abbreviations for four parenteral routes.

Question 10

What is the descriptor for medications that when combined in one syringe or solution interact and cause undesired changes in composition or effects such as crystallization?

Question 11

In general, which is absorbed faster, an oral medication or a parenteral medication?

Question 12

An error of dosage with one decimal place, such as preparing 1 mL instead of 0.1 mL results in how much of an error?

Question 13

Which site is not recommended for intramuscular injections? Why?

Question 14

What is the name of the kind of reference a nurse must consult before mixing two or more medications in one syringe or IV solution?

Question 15

Directions: Examine the following syringes. Notice the total capacity and the 1 mL markings. Indicate the filled-in dose measurement in the space provided.
Total capacity: _____ mL
Smallest measurable dose: _____ mL
Indicated dose: _____ mL

Question 16

What is the first step a nurse must take after reading an order for a parenteral injection mix?

Question 17

Would the gauge number be small or large?

Question 18

Name the three approved sites for intramuscular injections.

Question 19

What are the names of three diseases cited in the text that can be contracted from a needlestick injury?

Question 20

What is the value of estimating medication doses before calculation and preparation?

Question 21

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
6.4 mL

Question 22

Ordered: Phenobarbital sodium 0.06 g IM stat for a patient who needs sedation
Available: Phenobarbital sodium 120 mg per 2 mL
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare?

Question 23

Directions: Examine the following syringes. Notice the total capacity and the 1 mL markings. Indicate the filled-in dose measurement in the space provided.
Total capacity: _____ mL
Smallest measurable dose: _____ mL
Indicated dose: _____ mL

Question 24

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
2.3 mL

Question 25

Directions: Examine the following syringes. Notice the total capacity and the 1 mL markings. Indicate the filled-in dose measurement in the space provided.
Total capacity: _____ mL
Smallest measurable dose: _____ mL
Indicated dose: _____ mL

Question 26

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
0.75 mL

Question 27

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
3.6 mL

Question 28

Directions: Examine the following syringes. Notice the total capacity and the 1 mL markings. Indicate the filled-in dose measurement in the space provided.
Total capacity: _____ mL
Smallest measurable dose: _____ mL
Indicated dose: _____ mL

Question 29

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
0.8 mL

Question 30

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
4.4 mL

Question 31

Ordered: Stadol 0.75 mg IM stat for a frail patient with a migraine headache a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest hundredth of a mL?

Question 32

Directions: Examine the following syringes. Notice the total capacity and the 1 mL markings. Indicate the filled-in dose measurement in the space provided.
Total capacity: _____ mL
Smallest measurable dose: _____ mL
Indicated dose: _____ mL

Question 33

Ordered: Ativan 3 mg IM stat for a patient with anxiety a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare?

Question 34

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
2.9 mL

Question 35

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
0.84 mL

Question 36

Ordered: Lanoxin 0.3 mg deep IM stat loading dose for a patient with heart failure.
Directions: Give deep IM and follow with massage. IM route painful and only used if other routes unavailable. a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest hundredth of a mL?

Question 37

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
4.8 mL

Question 38

Ordered: Dilaudid 3 mg IM stat for a patient in pain a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest hundredth of a mL?

Question 39

Directions: Indicate the requested dose with a line through the calibration on the syringe.
8.6 mL

Question 40

Ordered: Solu-Cortef 0.2 g IM stat, an anti-inflammatory steroid, for a patient with severe inflammatory response a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare?

Question 41

Ordered: Zantac (ranitidine hydrochloride) 30 mg IM q6h for a patient with an ulcer
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare?
c. Indicate the dose on the syringe.

Question 42

Ordered: Epoetin alfa 13,000 units subcut twice weekly for a cancer patient with severe anemia a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest tenth (after reading the label and label insert)?

Question 43

Ordered: Morphine sulfate 15 mg and Promethazine 20 mg both IM stat for a patient with postoperative pain
Round each dose to the nearest tenth of a mL.
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL of Morphine will you prepare?
c. How many mL of Promethazine will you prepare?
d. What will be the total dose to nearest tenth of a mL?
e. Indicate the total combined dose on the syringe.

Question 44

Ordered: Tigan 75 mg IM stat for a patient with nausea
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest hundredth of a mL?
c. Indicate the dose on the syringe provided.

Question 45

Ordered: Tobramycin 70 mg IM q8h for a patient with an infection
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare to the nearest tenth of a mL?

Question 46

Ordered: Haldol 4 mg IM HS prn for a patient with agitation
a. Estimated dose:
b. How many mL will you prepare?