Question

Your patient has taken 50 capsules of Metoprolol (Lopressor), an anti-hypertensive beta-blocker drug, within the last 20 minutes. You wish to administer activated charcoal. Your protocols say to give 1 gram/kg by mouth within 1 hour of ingestion. Your patient says she weighs 130 pounds. (1 ) How much activated charcoal will you give? (2) You have only one container containing 50 grams in 240 mL of fluid. How much of it will you administer?

Answer 1

patient weight = 130pound = 58.967 kilogram

ordered dose amount = 1 gram per kg = 1 x 58.967 = 58.967 gram of activated charcol to be given

available dose amount = 50grams

volume = 240ml

desired dose amount = ordered dose / available dose x volume

= 58.967 / 50 x 240

= 1.179 x 240

= 283

as you have only 240ml only, you should administer the full amount of the container.