20. A physician has ordered heparin 7000 units subcutaneously daily. The medication is supplied in heparin 10,000 units in 1 mL. How many mL should be administered daily?
Answer: C
0.7 mL should be administered daily.
To administer the ordered dose of heparin 7000 units, the calculation involves determining the volume in mL from the concentration provided. Since the medication is supplied at a concentration of 10,000 units per mL, dividing the required dose by the concentration yields the correct volume.
A) 0.07
This option is incorrect because calculating 7000 units from the concentration of 10,000 units per mL does not yield 0.07 mL. In fact, 0.07 mL would only deliver 700 units, which is significantly lower than the required dosage.
B) 0.14
This choice is also incorrect. A volume of 0.14 mL would provide only 1400 units of heparin, which is well below the required daily dose of 7000 units. Therefore, this does not meet the physician's order.
C) 0.7
This is the correct answer. By calculating the dose of 7000 units divided by the concentration of 10,000 units per mL, we find that 0.7 mL will deliver the proper amount of heparin needed for the patient.
D) 1.42
This option is incorrect as well. Administering 1.42 mL would result in delivering 14,200 units of heparin, which exceeds the ordered amount of 7000 units significantly, potentially leading to overdose and associated risks.
Conclusion
The correct volume to administer is 0.7 mL, as it precisely delivers the ordered 7000 units of heparin based on the available concentration. All other options fail to provide the required dosage, either falling short or exceeding the necessary amount, which underscores the importance of accurate dosing in medical practice.