A nurse needs to give a client clindamycin palmitate 225 mg PO every 8 hours. The available suspension is 74 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer?

To determine the correct volume of clindamycin palmitate the nurse should administer, the first step is to convert the dosage required into an equivalent amount of the available suspension. The prescribed dosage is 225 mg, and the suspension concentration is 74 mg per 5 mL.

First, we calculate how much of the suspension is needed for a single dose of 225 mg:

1. Determine how many mg per mL are in the suspension:

• 74 mg is contained in 5 mL, thus:

• 74 mg / 5 mL = 14.8 mg/mL.

2. Calculate the volume required to deliver 225 mg:

• Using the formula, Volume (mL) = Required Dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL):

• Volume = 225 mg / 14.8 mg/mL = approximately 15.19 mL.

Since we generally round medication dosages in nursing practice to the nearest whole number, the nurse should administer 15 mL. This value corresponds with the available option indicating that 15 mL is the correct calculation, which properly provides the required 225 mg dosage of clindamycin palmitate.