Med Admin

Published

Please help :) You have a vial of 10mg/1mL of morphine and going to give 0.2mL. How do you all dilute the morphine? What is your process? In the IV book it says 5mLs. I drew up 0.2 in a 3mL syringe and diluted it with 5mL of saline and I was told this is wrong....

The smallest syringe usually available to us is 3ml. We do not use insulin syringes for other purposes. We also do not dilute anything unless instructed to by pharmacy or policy. We do put small increments such as .26 into a 3ml syringe to the best of our abilities however. I don't understand how OP put 0.2ml into the 3ml syringe but doesn't know where the 0.2 came from. So confused.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

0.2mg not mL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
0.2mg not mL

I'm afraid you're confused about the fundamental algebra involved with this problem. Earlier you said that the volume you drew up was 0.2mL (which equates to a 2mg dose from a 10mg/mL vial), now you're saying that the dose is 0.2mg? I'd strongly suggest that you sit down with your clinical instructor and go over how to calculate volumes of medications to be drawn up given various concentrations of medications.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I mispoke..it was 0.2mL.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in General Surgery.

Who on earth supplies 10mg of Morphine PER ONE mL? I've only seen 2mg/mL ... this question seems like it was written by stone age professors or maybe I'm unaware 10mg per 1 mL morphine. Dang!

Can someone enlighten me???

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg.
Who on earth supplies 10mg of Morphine PER ONE mL? I've only seen 2mg/mL ... this question seems like it was written by stone age professors or maybe I'm unaware 10mg per 1 mL morphine. Dang!

Can someone enlighten me???

We get our morphine in 4mg per mL and 10mg per mL. We don't use the 10mL version often, but it is a thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

OP.

How were you giving the pain relief IV or subcut?

As others have said IV, I would dilute it water for injection up to 10mls so you have a solution of 1mg/1ml.

If its being given subcut I would not dilute it at all. However if you are giving it into a sub cut line, ensure you use a flush once you have given the 0.2mls (2mgs) morphine to ensure it doesnt sit in the line however the line is very small so you should only need to give a 2-3ml flush

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Who on earth supplies 10mg of Morphine PER ONE mL? I've only seen 2mg/mL ... this question seems like it was written by stone age professors or maybe I'm unaware 10mg per 1 mL morphine. Dang!

Can someone enlighten me???

Unaware I suspect

We have it avaliable 5mg/1ml, 10mg/1ml, 30mg/1ml and 50mg/1ml

We use it alot with syringe drivers and for sub cut pain relief. With some of our palliative patients we may need to give a very large dose in the syringe driver over 100mgs in 24 hours

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As others have said IV, I would dilute it water for injection up to 10mls so you have a solution of 1mg/1ml.

I would suggest NOT diluting your meds in SWFI, but rather NS (so long as the med is compatible with NS). There are some meds that must be RECONSTITUTED with SWFI vs. NS.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion