Math Help needed, please!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi I am a bit confused on how to round on these math problems, I rounded these problems as I was supposed to at least according to the rounding rules. However, when I look for the answers on the back of the book to the problems they do not relate. All of these problems are asking in millilter. Please, if its possible if you guys can let me know how to round in these problems. Thank you all and have a nice evening. Thanks!!

Are the problems in mL different than others? Please, need help. An explanation needed as well.

1. Your patient may RECEIVE dILAUDID 3 MG IM q 3 hours for relief of pain caused by a total hip replacement. Dilaudid is supplied in 1-ml ampules containing 4 mg. How many mL would you administer?

The answer in book is: 0.75

My answer: 0.8

2. Keflex suspension is ordered for a patient who had a total tansillectomy in 5.5 mL. The medication is supplied in 125 per 5 mL. how many mg will you administer every six hours.

The answer in book is: 137.5

My answer: 138

3. The physician prescribes Lauoxin 0.09 mg po bid. You have 0.05 mg. How many ML will you administer?

The answer in book: 1.8

My answer: 2

4. The physician prescribe Acetaminophen 650 mg po q6h. You have 325 mg per 10.15 mL. How many ML will the nurse admister?

The answer in book: 20.3

My answer: 20

5. Your patient with epilepsy receives phenobarbital 55 mg po bid. Pheniobarbital is supplied in 20 mg per 5 mL. How many mL will the nurse administer?

The answer in my book: 13.75

My answer: 13.8

6. Your patient with an artrial valve repair has Lanoxin 110 mcg IV q12h ordered. How many milliters will you prepare?

The answer in my book: 0.44

My answer: 0.4

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

You are rounding up too much. If you end up with .75 leave it at .75. If they state they want answers rounded to one point then you would go to .8.Tests NS will tell you what they want answers rounded to plus in real life you will have take into account how small the calibration of the syringe you are using. Rounding rules do not state you HAVE to round up. Sometimes you just leave the answers alone.

What I found almost always works is that there are only two real numbers in the answer. So, if the answer comes out "1.75" I would round to "1.8". If the answer is 0.475 I would round to 0.48. This works for almost everything in our school. Also, don't round your answers in the middle of the problem. Wait til all computations are done-it sometimes can make a difference in your answer.

It may be because you are suppose to us a 1ml Syringe. With 1Ml Syringe you round to the nearest hundreth. With a 3ML Syringe you round to nearest 10th. For example if the number was .847 and u are using a 1ml syringe, it would round to .85 bc the 1 ml syringe is more accurate. If it was a 3ml syringe the number would be .8 because the 3ml arent as accurate as the 1ml. For example in a child u would want to be very accurate by using a 1ml syringe. Im pretty sure that may be the solution but i am just starting this chapter myslef.

Specializes in office&hospital(med-surg).

Just remember when giving medication, you want to give the most accurate dose, without rounding up. Rounding up just 0.1, can make a major difference.

Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

Do not round unless otherwise told to do so. Google pictures of a 0.5 ml, 1ml, and 3ml syringe. 0.75 is NOT the same as 0.8. If you still run into problems, contact your instructor ASAP.

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