Haldol (haloperidol) 5.0 mg PO tid was ordered for a patient who is agitated.
Which action should a nurse take before administering the medication?
Discuss the use of PO with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of tid with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of Haldol with the healthcare provider.
Discuss the use of the trailing zero with the healthcare provider.
The Correct Answer is D
This action should be taken by the nurse before administering the medication because the use of a trailing zero after a decimal point (5.0 mg) is a common cause of medication errors and should be avoided. A trailing zero may be misread or misinterpreted as a larger dose (50 mg) or omited altogether, resulting in a 10-fold overdose or underdose, respectively. For example, when prescriptions have been writen for "Coumadin 1.0 mg," patients have received 10 mg in error. Therefore, the nurse should clarify the intended dose with the healthcare provider and use the correct notation (5 mg) without a trailing zero.
The other options are not appropriate actions because:
a) Discussing the use of PO (by mouth) with the healthcare provider is not necessary, as PO is a standard route of administration for Haldol (haloperidol) and does not pose a risk of confusion or error.
b) Discussing the use of tid (three times a day) with the healthcare provider is not necessary, as tid is a standard frequency of administration for Haldol and does not pose a risk of confusion or error.
c) Discussing the use of Haldol with the healthcare provider is not relevant to the question, as Haldol is the prescribed medication for the patient who is agitated and does not need to be changed or questioned by the nurse.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
To find the milliliters to administer, you need to use the formula for dosage calculation:
Volume (mL) = Dose ordered (mg) / Dose available (mg) x Volume available (mL)
Since the dose ordered is 275 mg, the dose available is 500 mg, and the volume available is 2 mL, plug in these values into the formula:
Volume (mL) = 275 mg / 500 mg x 2 mL
Simplify and solve for the volume:
Volume (mL) = 1.1 mL
Therefore, the nurse should administer **1.1 mL** of Primaxin to the patient.
Correct Answer is ["C","D"]
Explanation
These statements are correct because they follow the guidelines for intradermal injections, which are used for skin testing, such as for allergies or tuberculosis. Intradermal injections are given into the dermis, which is the layer of skin below the epidermis.
The needle is inserted with the bevel of the needle upward at a 10- to 15-degree angle to ensure that the medication is delivered into the dermis and not into the subcutaneous tissue or the epidermis. The bevel is
the slanted part of the needle tip that creates a sharp point. Inserting the needle with the bevel upward also reduces tissue trauma and bleeding.
The inner arm or upper back are the preferred sites for intradermal injections because they have thin skin and minimal hair, which makes it easier to see and measure any reactions. The inner arm is usually used for adults, while the upper back is used for children.
The other statements are not correct because they do not apply to intradermal injections or they contain false information.
a. A depressed area around the injection sites indicates a positive reaction. This statement is false because a depressed area, also known as induration, indicates a negative reaction. A positive reaction is indicated by a raised area, also known as a wheal, that is larger than a certain size depending on the type of test.
b. After the insertion of the needle, a healthcare provider should aspirate for a blood return. This statement does not apply to intradermal injections because aspiration is not necessary for this type of injection. Aspiration is the process of pulling back on the plunger of the syringe to check for blood in the needle before injecting the medication. This is done to avoid injecting into a blood vessel, which can cause adverse effects or reduce the effectiveness of the medication. However, intradermal injections are given into very superficial layers of skin where there are no blood vessels, so aspiration is not required.
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