A client is prescribed hydromorphone intravenously. If the dosage is 4 mg and the concentration is 10 mg/mL, how many milliliters will the nurse administer per dose?

To determine how many milliliters the nurse will administer for a dose of hydromorphone, the concentration of the drug must be utilized. In this case, if the dosage prescribed is 4 mg and the concentration is 10 mg/mL, you can use the following calculation to find the volume to administer:

First, calculate the volume in milliliters that contains 4 mg of hydromorphone. Since the concentration is 10 mg/mL, you can set up the equation:

Volume (mL) = Desired dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL)

Substituting the values into the equation gives:

Volume (mL) = 4 mg / 10 mg/mL = 0.4 mL

This means to obtain the correct dose of 4 mg from a solution that has a concentration of 10 mg/mL, the nurse will need to administer 0.4 mL. This calculation aligns with the principles of medication administration, ensuring that the nurse accurately delivers the prescribed dosage based on the solution's concentration.