NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

From a transcription error, a client received an overdose of a prescribed medication. If the therapeutic index of the medication is 10 and the median effective dose is 2, what is the median lethal dose for the medication?

1. 10

2. 20

3. 5

4. 15

The correct answer is: 20

The median lethal dose for the medication would be 20. Option A, 10, is the therapeutic index which is the ratio of the median lethal dose to the median effective dose. Option C, 5, is incorrect as it is half of the median effective dose. Option D, 15, is incorrect as it exceeds the median effective dose. It is important for healthcare providers to ensure accurate transcriptions to minimize the risk of medication errors and adverse reactions.