Questions: A client receives a prescription for digoxin 500 mcg PO. The dispensed medication is labeled in mg. How many mg should the practical nurse administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required round to the nearest tenth.)

A client receives a prescription for digoxin 500 mcg PO. The dispensed medication is labeled in mg. How many mg should the practical nurse administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required round to the nearest tenth.)

Transcript text: A client receives a prescription for digoxin 500 mcg PO. The dispensed medication is labeled in mg. How many mg should the practical nurse administer? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required round to the nearest tenth.)

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Convert mcg to mg

The prescription is for 500 mcg of digoxin. Since 1 mg = 1000 mcg, we convert mcg to mg by dividing by 1000: \[ 500 \, \text{mcg} \div 1000 = 0.5 \, \text{mg}. \]

Step 2: Verify the conversion

Ensure the conversion is correct by confirming that 500 mcg is equivalent to 0.5 mg: \[ 500 \, \text{mcg} = 0.5 \, \text{mg}. \]

Step 3: Administer the correct dose

The practical nurse should administer 0.5 mg of digoxin as prescribed. No rounding is needed since the value is already to the nearest tenth.