A patient is ordered 700 mg of an antibiotic with a label that states to add 5 mL of sterile water to 1 g. How many milliliters should be given?

To determine how many milliliters should be administered for a 700 mg dose of the antibiotic, it's important to first understand the relationship between the quantity of the antibiotic and the amount of diluent required for reconstitution.

The label states that adding 5 mL of sterile water is necessary for reconstituting 1 g (1000 mg) of the antibiotic. This means that 1 g of the antibiotic will dissolve into a total volume of 5 mL.

Now, since the patient requires 700 mg, we can set up a proportion based on the reconstitution instructions:

1 g (1000 mg) corresponds to 5 mL.

700 mg corresponds to X mL.

Using cross-multiplication to find X:

X mL = (700 mg * 5 mL) / 1000 mg = 3.5 mL.

Thus, if you strictly followed the concentration produced by reconstituting the entire gram, you’d end up with a requirement of 3.5 mL to deliver 700 mg. However, it's common in practice to round these calculations when dealing with medication dosages to ensure accuracy and practicality during administration.

Upon considering dosing protocols and clinical practice, the dosing rounded down