Calculation problem

[Bluecap]

Could someone please tell me how to do this calculation. "A resident is ordered 15mg/ml of morphine, 10mg/ml of maxalon and normal saline, to be made up in 10ml syringe over a 24 hour period. Calculate the amount of drug and normal saline that would need to be prepared. Syringe Drivers - Terumo 10ml syringe=9.4ml equals stroke length of 48mm. What is the total morphine volume, total volume of maxalon, total vol of normal saline and what is the total volume to prepare in the syringe" many:bow: thanks - just starting this calculations stuff.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Actually, that is exactly what " / " means...it means "per mL". I think this question is worse every time I look at it!

Well, of course it means per ml. That doesn't mean that morphine 15mg/ml = a total volume of 1ml with 15mg in it. It could, for example, mean that there is a total volume of 5mls with a total of 75mg in it. That's still 15mg/ml, but it certainly changes the volume you are dealing with.

[kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN]

I still want to know the missing info from the original problem :typing

[chare]

i still want to know the missing info from the original problem

as previously noted, this is a poorly worded problem. this order, as written should prompt an immediate call to the ordering physician for clarification. areas that are not clear include the following:

- the most important missing item is the total dose of each medication to be administered, either hourly or total over the 24 hour period. if this information were clearly provided, the rest of the problem would be much easier.

- is 15 mg/ml morphine and 10 mg/ml maxolon the starting concentration to be added to the syringe or is it the final concentration?

- if you were provided both the starting/final concentration, and the hourly/total 24 hour dose, then you could easily calculate the problem.

if the op could provide the answer to the problem, then it would be much easier to determine how the answer was attained.