A nurse is preparing to administer methylphenidate 18 mg PO to a school-age child who has attention deficit disorder. Available in methylphenidate oral solution 10 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

Identify the Desired Dose and Available Concentration: Desired Dose: 18 mg of methylphenidate Available Concentration: 10 mg/5 mL (This means there are 10 mg of methylphenidate in every 5 mL of solution) Set up the Calculation: We need to find the volume (in mL) that contains the desired dose of 18 mg. We can use the following formula: Volume (mL) = (Desired Dose (mg) / Available Concentration (mg)) * Volume of Available Solution (mL) Plug in the Values and Calculate: Volume (mL) = (18 mg / 10 mg) x 5 mL Volume (mL) = 1.8 x 5 mL Volume (mL) = 9 mL Round to the Nearest Whole Number : 9 mL