Physician order reads: Furosemide 60 mg po bid. Available: 40 mg scored tablets. What do you administer to the patient?

Choice A reason: Furosemide 60 mg requires 1.5 tablets of 40 mg (60 ÷ 40 = 1.5). Scored tablets allow precise division, ensuring the correct dose. This calculation aligns with safe medication administration principles, delivering the prescribed amount accurately. Choice B reason: Administering 2.5 tablets (100 mg) exceeds the prescribed 60 mg dose. Overdosing furosemide, a loop diuretic, risks excessive diuresis, leading to dehydration, hypokalemia, or hypotension, making this choice unsafe and incorrect. Choice C reason: Two tablets (80 mg) also exceed the 60 mg order. This overdose could cause significant fluid and electrolyte imbalances, particularly in vulnerable patients, as furosemide promotes rapid sodium and water excretion, making this choice inappropriate. Choice D reason: One tablet (40 mg) underdoses the patient, providing only 66.7% of the prescribed 60 mg. Inadequate dosing may fail to achieve therapeutic effects, such as edema reduction or blood pressure control, rendering this choice incorrect.