A nurse is preparing to administer lithium 300 mg PO to a client who has bipolar disorder. Available is lithium 150 mg capsules. How many capsules should the nurse administer? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

A) Esophagus
Enteric-coated tablets are designed to not dissolve or disintegrate in the esophagus. They are coated with a protective layer that prevents the tablet from breaking down in the acidic environment of the stomach. This is to ensure that the medication is released in the part of the digestive tract where it is most needed, typically beyond the stomach.

B) Duodenum
Enteric-coated tablets are designed to disintegrate in the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine. The coating protects the tablet from stomach acid, allowing it to pass intact through the stomach and into the small intestine, where the pH is higher and the coating dissolves, releasing the medication for absorption.

C) Stomach
Enteric-coated tablets are specifically designed not to disintegrate in the stomach because the stomach's acidic environment could either damage the drug or cause premature release. The coating ensures that the drug is protected until it reaches the more neutral pH of the duodenum.

D) Colon
The colon is too far along in the digestive tract for enteric-coated tablets to typically disintegrate. The design of enteric coatings is intended to protect the drug until it reaches the duodenum, where absorption is most efficient. Enteric coatings are not meant to disintegrate in the colon.

Convert the dosage to mcg per hour:

55 mcg/min × 60 min = 3300 mcg/hr

Determine the concentration of nitroglycerin available:

The concentration is 25 mg per 250 mL, which converts to 100 mcg/mL.

Calculate the flow rate in mL per hour using the dosage and concentration:

Flowrate(mL/hr)=(Dose(mcg/hr)/Concentration(mcg/mL))

(3300mcg/hr100mcg/mL)=33mL/hr