The physician prescribed 50 mg of a medication that is available as 80 mg per milliliter. How many milliliters would the nurse administer?
A) 0.16
B) 0.6
C) 1.6
D) 16

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the amount of drug prescribed is different from the supply, you can solve the dosage problem with proportion, either using ratios or fractions. When one of the numbers is unknown, the letter x substitutes for the missing number. Proportion (Ratios): 1 mL : 80 mg :: x mL : 50 mg; 80x = 50/80 = 5/8 = 0.625 mL. Round off to the nearest tenths: 0.625 mL = 0.6 mL. Proportion (Fractions): 1 mL/80 mg = x mL/50 mg; 80x = 50/80 = 5/8 = 0.625 mL = 0.6 mL. Note: 0.625 mL carried out to the hundredths = 0.63 mL; carried out to tenths = 0.6 mL.

The Physician Prescribed 50 Mg of a Medication That Is