Answer to Question 1
2
The dose ordered is the amount of medication prescribed (e.g., 200 mg). The dose on hand is the dose (e.g., mg, mL, units) of medication supplied by the pharmacy (in this case, 100-mg tablets). The amount on hand is the weight or volume of medication available and supplied by the pharmacy. It appears on the medication label as the contents of a tablet or capsule, or as the amount of medication dissolved per unit volume of liquid. The amount on hand is the basic quantity of the medication that contains the dose on hand. For solid medications, the amount on hand is often one capsule; the amount of liquid on hand is often 1 mL or 1 L (in this case, it is 1 tablet). The amount to be administered (e.g., mL, mg) is always expressed in the same measure as the amount on hand.
Dose ordered Amount on hand = Amount to administer
Dose on hand
200 mg 1 tab = 200 mg = 2 tablets
100 mg 100 mg
Answer to Question 2
C
Red or brown coloring (coffee-grounds appearance) of fluid aspirated from a feeding tube indicates new blood or old blood, respectively, in the gastrointestinal tract. If the color is not related to medications recently administered, notify the physician. Abdominal distention usually indicates that the tube feeding is not progressing through the GI tract. This could be a sign of paralytic ileus. Stop the tube feeding and notify the physician. If the patient develops severe respiratory distress (e.g., dyspnea, decreased oxygen saturation, increased pulse rate), this may be a result of aspiration or tube displacement into the lung. Stop any enteral feedings. Notify the physician. Obtain chest radiographs as ordered.