For a client needing octreotide (Sandostatin) 1,200 mcg daily by subcutaneous injection, how many ml should the nurse administer if the medication is available in 1 mg/ml vials?

To determine the correct volume to administer for the prescribed dose of octreotide, we start by converting the required medication from micrograms to milligrams, as the medication concentration is given in mg/ml.

The client needs 1,200 mcg daily. Knowing that 1 mg equals 1,000 mcg, we can convert 1,200 mcg to mg:

1,200 mcg ÷ 1,000 mcg/mg = 1.2 mg.

Given that the available concentration of the medication is 1 mg/ml, the nurse needs to administer a total of 1.2 mg. To find out how many milliliters (ml) correspond to this mg amount, we can use the concentration provided:

1 mg/ml means that each 1 ml of the solution contains 1 mg of octreotide. Therefore, to calculate the appropriate volume for 1.2 mg, we use the following calculation:

1.2 mg ÷ (1 mg/ml) = 1.2 ml.

Thus, the nurse should administer 1.2 ml of octreotide to meet the client’s daily requirement. This calculation accurately reflects the conversion and the dosage information provided, supporting the conclusion that the correct