My final dosage calculation. Please help.

[deemarys]

On hand is Slow K potassium chloride 8 milliequivalents per milliliter. The order is for potassium chloride 16 milliequivalents orally each day for prophylaxis of hypokalemia. Give____________________

the terminology alone is confusing. I don't even have an answer for this one. How would I start to get an answer.

I usually have 3 #'s to do my calculation but all I have is 2.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

on hand is slow k potassium chloride 8 milliequivalents per milliliter. the order is for potassium chloride 16 milliequivalents orally each day for prophylaxis of hypokalemia. give____________________

do you have a medical dictionary? if not, you could always look milliequivalents up on the internet because i know you do have a computer.

milliequivalent

- abbreviation:

meq

. one thousandth of a chemical equivalent. the concentration of electrolytes in a certain volume of solution is usually expressed as milliequivalents per liter. most commonly used in nursing with potassium mixtures.

slow k is a tablet form of potassium chloride that comes in an 8 meq extended release pill.

http://www.drugs.com/pro/slow-k.html

- "one slow-k tablet provides 8 meq of potassium chloride."

16 meq

(dose desired)

/8 meq

(dose on hand)

x 1 tablet

(form the dose on hand comes in)

=

2 tablets

(amount to give)

[sonnynurse74]

ooh daytonite this one was as eazzzzzzzzzzzzy as it will ever get, how are you using the terms and have not been introduced to the abbreviations yet?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

ooh daytonite this one was as eazzzzzzzzzzzzy as it will ever get, how are you using the terms and have not been introduced to the abbreviations yet?

What are you asking me?

[mrsraisinkain]

One of the hardest parts of dosage calculations for me is picking out what information I actually need to answer the question. You said you usually have 3 numbers to do the calculation. Where you typed 8 milliequivalents per milliliter there is a number 1 understood to be before the milliliter. All you need to know is that the strength is 8 mEq / 1 mL and the patient is to receive 16 mEq. (In real life hopefully you know more about the drug if you're administering it but to answer the question that's all the info you need) And then like Daytonite said 16 mEq (required dose) divided by 8 mEq (stock dose) = 2 mL (amount you should give).

[NamasteNurse, BSN, RN]

To find what information you need look at the last question in the problem...you did have the three numbers you were looking for, you have on hand, X mEq of K /per mL...that means for every ONE mL of whatever solvent you have 8 mEq of KCl. The third number is 1. The formula is always D/H x volume for KCl. In this case the volume is one, but it could be per 2 Ml, or whatever. Hope this helps...

[deemarys]

To find what information you need look at the last question in the problem...you did have the three numbers you were looking for, you have on hand, X mEq of K /per mL...that means for every ONE mL of whatever solvent you have 8 mEq of KCl. The third number is 1. The formula is always D/H x volume for KCl. In this case the volume is one, but it could be per 2 Ml, or whatever. Hope this helps...

Isn't that the formula method? I do it the proportion method S/H = x/D

Supply/Hand = x/Desired dose

Am I right or should I be doing it your way?

[SecondGenRN]

Isn't that the formula method? I do it the proportion method S/H = x/D

Supply/Hand = x/Desired dose

Am I right or should I be doing it your way?

You can use either. Just be sure that you are consistent, check it twice, then have someone else check it.