An order is received for 900 mg of medication from a vial labeled 500 mg/5 mL. What is the correct volume to administer?

To determine the correct volume of medication to administer, it's essential to understand how to convert the ordered dose into the corresponding volume based on the concentration provided.

The vial has a concentration of 500 mg in 5 mL. To find out how many milliliters contain the ordered 900 mg, you can set up a proportion based on the known concentration.

1. First, calculate the amount of medication in 1 mL by dividing the total milligrams by the volume in mL:

[

\frac{500 \text{ mg}}{5 \text{ mL}} = 100 \text{ mg/mL}

]

2. Next, determine how many milliliters are needed for 900 mg by dividing the ordered dose by the concentration:

[

\frac{900 \text{ mg}}{100 \text{ mg/mL}} = 9 \text{ mL}

]

3. The next step is to find out how much volume that represents from the vial. Since 900 mg is equal to 9 mL when using the established concentration, one can see that:

If 100 mg is in 1 mL, then:

[