When administering meperidine 75 mg IM with available medication at 100mg/mL, how much should the nurse give?

To determine the correct volume to administer for meperidine 75 mg when the concentration available is 100 mg/mL, you need to perform a simple calculation.

First, recognize that the concentration of the medication is 100 mg in every 1 mL. To find out how many mL are needed for a dose of 75 mg, you can set up the following calculation:

1. Take the desired dose of meperidine, which is 75 mg.

2. Since the concentration is 100 mg/mL, the calculation to find the volume (mL) required can be done using the formula:

Volume (mL) = Dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL)

Substituting the numbers into this formula:

Volume (mL) = 75 mg / 100 mg/mL = 0.75 mL

When rounding to the appropriate measurement for administration, 0.75 mL typically rounds to 0.8 mL in clinical practice. Thus, the volume that the nurse should give is indeed 0.8 mL, making this the correct answer.

This calculation not only ensures the patient receives the correct dose but also highlights the importance of accurate measurement and administration