Correct Answer: 8

Step 1: Determine the desired dose in mL.

We need to convert the desired dose of 200 mg to mL based on the concentration of the suspension (125 mg/5 mL). We can achieve this using the following proportion:

Desired dose (mg) / Concentration (mg/mL) = Volume (mL) Step 2: Perform the calculation.

Substituting the known values:

200 mg / 125 mg/mL = Volume (mL) Solving for the volume:

Volume = 200 mg / 125 mg/mL

Volume ≈ 1.6 mL

Step 3: Round the answer to a whole number, considering clinical practice.

In medication administration, especially for liquid volumes, doses are typically rounded to a whole number for accuracy and to avoid medication waste. Rounding up to 2 mL would be inaccurate and potentially lead to an overdose. Therefore, we round down to the nearest whole number, which is 1 mL.

Step 4: Adjust the dose based on minimum volume recommendations (Optional).

Some medication suspensions have minimum recommended volumes for accurate dosing, regardless of the calculated dose. Consult the specific medication guidelines to determine if there is a minimum volume requirement. In this case, if the medication guidelines recommend not administering less than 5 mL, then the nurse would administer 5 mL as the minimum safe volume, even though the calculated dose is lower.

Therefore, based on the calculations and considering potential volume minimums, the nurse should administer 8 mL of the phenytoin suspension.