A patient receives a prescription for 20 mg furosemide intravenously (IV). The pharmacy issues a vial containing 100 mg/2 mL of the medication. How many mL should the nurse administer?

To determine the correct volume of furosemide to administer, it is essential to analyze the concentration of the medication provided and the dose prescribed. The vial contains 100 mg of furosemide in 2 mL, which translates into a concentration of 50 mg/mL (since 100 mg ÷ 2 mL = 50 mg/mL).

The prescribed dose is 20 mg. To find out how many mL this corresponds to, you can use the concentration established earlier. By calculating the volume needed for the 20 mg dose, you can set up the following equation:

Volume (mL) = Dose (mg) ÷ Concentration (mg/mL)

Plugging in the values gives:

Volume (mL) = 20 mg ÷ 50 mg/mL = 0.4 mL

Therefore, to administer a dose of 20 mg furosemide, the nurse should administer 0.4 mL of the solution. This calculation clearly validates that 0.4 mL is the appropriate volume to administer to meet the prescribed dosage.