After assessing a client, a primary healthcare provider prescribes diphenhydramine 25 mg IV STAT for anaphylaxis. The pharmacy supplies a vial with a concentration of 50 mg/mL.
How much and when should a nurse administer this medication?
Administer 0.5 mL of medication immediately to the client
Administer 25 mg of medication once a day to the client for two weeks
Administer 25 mg of medication every eight hours
Administer 0.5 mL of medication if the client has symptoms of allergy
Administer 0.5 mL of medication if the client has symptoms of allergy
The Correct Answer is A
To find how much medication to administer, you need to calculate the following:
- The volume of diphenhydramine in milliliters
- The infusion time in minutes
First, divide the dose of diphenhydramine by the concentration to get the volume in milliliters:
25 mg / 50 mg/mL = 0.5 mL diphenhydramine should be diluted in 10 to 20 mL of normal saline and infused over at least 2 minutes.
Therefore, the nurse should administer **0.5 mL** of diphenhydramine diluted in 10 to 20 mL of normal saline over **at least 2 minutes**.
The nurse should administer this medication **as soon as possible** after receiving the order and the medication from the pharmacy, as STAT means immediately or urgently. The nurse should also monitor the client for signs of improvement or adverse reactions.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
To find the amount of solution to draw for one dose, you need to calculate the following:
- The body surface area (BSA) of the client in square meters (m²) using the formula: BSA (m²) = √(Height (cm) x Weight (kg) / 3600)
- The dose of allopurinol in milligrams (mg) using the formula: Dose (mg) = BSA (m²) x Prescribed dose
(mg/m²)
- The volume of solution in milliliters (mL) using the formula: Volume (mL) = Dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL)
First, use the formula for BSA to find the client's body surface area in square meters:
BSA (m²) = √(Height (cm) x Weight (kg) / 3600)
Since the client's height is 148 cm and weight is 55 kg, plug in these values into the formula:
BSA (m²) = √(148 cm x 55 kg / 3600)
Simplify and solve for the BSA:
BSA (m²) = 1.41 m²
Next, use the formula for dose to find the amount of allopurinol in milligrams:
Dose (mg) = BSA (m²) x Prescribed dose (mg/m²)
Since the client's BSA is 1.41 m² and the prescribed dose is 115 mg/m², plug in these values into the formula:
Dose (mg) = 1.41 m² x 115 mg/m²
Simplify and solve for the dose:
Dose (mg) = 162.15 mg
Then, use the formula for volume to find the amount of solution in milliliters:
Volume (mL) = Dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL)
Since the dose is 162.15 mg and the concentration is 25 mg/mL, plug in these values into the formula:
Volume (mL) = 162.15 mg / 25 mg/mL
Simplify and solve for the volume:
Volume (mL) = 6.486 mL
Therefore, the nurse should draw **6.486 mL** of solution for one dose of allopurinol.

Correct Answer is B
Explanation
To find the rate in mL/hr, you need to use the formula for infusion rate:
Infusion rate (mL/h) = Total volume (mL) / Time (h)
Since the total volume is 500 mL and the time is 2 hours, plug in these values into the formula:
Infusion rate (mL/h) = 500 mL / 2 h
Simplify and solve for the infusion rate:
Infusion rate (mL/h) = 250 mL/h
Therefore, the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver **250 mL/h** to infuse LR 500 mL over 2 hours.
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