Answer :
Final answer:
If a 0.5% KCl IV solution is prescribed, it is likely that an aide could retrieve a pre-mixed bag from hospital supplies, as these are commonly stocked. Hospitals follow strict protocols to ensure the correct preparation and administration of IV solutions to avoid potentially dangerous medication errors.
Explanation:
In a hospital setting, when a physician prescribes a specific intravenous (IV) solution such as 100 mL of 0.5% KCl, a healthcare professional, such as a nurse or a pharmacy technician, will prepare the solution if it's not readily available. However, the scenario described suggests a rapid response, implying that the aide might take out a prefabricated IV bag with the appropriate concentration if it exists. In most modern hospitals, common IV electrolyte solutions are pre-mixed and available in various concentrations, so, likely, an aide could quickly retrieve the necessary KCl IV solution from a supply cabinet.
Hospitals must have strict protocols for the preparation and administration of IV solutions to prevent medication errors like the overdose of morphine cited by the US Pharmacopeia. Care must be taken to ensure that the correct concentration and volume are used, as the wrong concentration of potassium could have serious effects, such as in the case when potassium chloride is used to stop a beating heart during open-heart surgery.
Correct preparation of an IV solution and attention to detail are critical for patient safety, especially when dealing with potent medications like cardiac glycosides or antidote kits for poisonings.
