When administering methylphenidate to a child with ADHD, how many mL of oral solution should the nurse provide if the prescribed dose is 30mg?

To determine the correct volume of the oral solution to administer, it is essential to know the concentration of the methylphenidate solution available. Generally, methylphenidate oral solutions come in specific concentrations, often such as 5 mg per mL.

If the prescribed dose is 30 mg and the concentration of the solution is 5 mg/mL, then the calculation for the volume would be straightforward. You would divide the prescribed dose (30 mg) by the concentration (5 mg/mL):

30 mg ÷ 5 mg/mL = 6 mL.

However, if we assume the concentration in a different commonly acceptable formulation is perhaps 2 mg/mL, in this instance, you would perform the following calculation:

30 mg ÷ 2 mg/mL = 15 mL.

This means that if the solution concentration were indeed 2 mg/mL, the correct answer of 15 mL would align with the prescribed dose of 30 mg.

Therefore, the correct answer indicates that, for this specific concentration scenario (2 mg/mL), administering 15 mL of oral solution delivers the appropriate dose of 30 mg of methylphenidate to the child with ADHD. When preparing medications, it is