lasix and kcl

leslie :-D · Mar 18, 2012

i honestly don't think so.

all i remember is 39mg = 1meq.

any pharmacist should be able to help you out.

leslie

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2012

NO! it was a written med error that i'm surprised pharmacy didn't catch while generating the MAR. Granted i'm sure the actual dosing of 40 was correct so if you have already given the med it should be okay for the patient, but for documentation purposes you have to have the doctor clarify the order or rewrite it and generate new MAR/add new written order to existing MAR and D/C the original order

RNurse24 · Mar 18, 2012

well...since i know kcl is always in meq i overlooked the mg. its my weekend off and i didnt clarify it...will i get in trouble for this? im in my orientation and i was just giving the med that the primary nurse pulled out for me...

leslie :-D · Mar 18, 2012

well...since i know kcl is always in meq i overlooked the mg. its my weekend off and i didnt clarify it...will i get in trouble for this? im in my orientation and i was just giving the med that the primary nurse pulled out for me...

christy is right, and i returned to this thread to post that you should have called md to clarify.

i'm pretty certain s/he meant 40meq's as well, but you'd be hung in court if it remained as is, and you still gave 40meq's....see what i'm saying?

write an incident report when you return.

it'll be fine.

leslie

RNurse24 · Mar 18, 2012

wow...this really made my day...since she pullled out the medicine with the mar im assuming i thought everything was good...but as a new employee and each day after work you think back about the things you did right and wrong i wish i caught it right then and there....thanks for the replies

leslie :-D · Mar 18, 2012

wow...this really made my day...since she pullled out the medicine with the mar im assuming i thought everything was good...but as a new employee and each day after work you think back about the things you did right and wrong i wish i caught it right then and there....thanks for the replies

it's too easy for these types of errors to happen.

you are sooo not alone.

it's just that you don't want the order to remain as is.

i have a feeling that most nurses would just continue to give the 40meqs, so the order has to be rewritten as intended.

it really will be ok, rnnurse24.:hug:

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Mar 18, 2012

Which dose did you chart? If it was written 20mg and you signed it off then it is a charting error as well.

RNurse24 · Mar 18, 2012

ok...the mar order is 40 mg route iv lasix...understandably potassium was prescribed also since lasix is a potassium wasting diuretic...well the kcl (potassium) ordered was 40mg oral...which was weird to me because potassium is always in meq. so 2 potassium tablets was pulled out 20 meq each equalling 40meq...is mg and meq used the same in kcl tablets?

my bad i meant 20mg of lasix :)

zorabanks · Mar 18, 2012

When you see an error or something that dosen't look right, ask questions. check original order. If something needs to be clarified say something even during orientation. Do not give meds that you did not draw up or pull yourself. C.Y.A. Good Luck!

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2012

So did you give 20mg or 40mg of lasix and what was the order. Im confused now..

MattNurse, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2012

millequivalent is the eletrical conductivity in the ions via the molarity, where milligrams is simply just the weight of said molecules. millequivalents will change in the conversion to milligrams based on the ion (molecule) that you are giving , so 40meq of kcl has 40meq of k and 40 meq of cl. It also depends on the valence of the electrons/ion how many mEq are equivalent to the molarity.