If a patient can safely receive 400 mg of mepivacaine, how many cartridges can they take if each cartridge contains 54 mg?

To determine how many cartridges of mepivacaine a patient can take safely, we start by calculating the total amount of mepivacaine contained in one cartridge and then see how many such cartridges fit into the safe dose limit for the patient. In this scenario, each cartridge contains 54 mg of mepivacaine.

If the patient can safely receive 400 mg of mepivacaine, we need to divide this safe dosage by the amount in one cartridge:

400 mg ÷ 54 mg per cartridge = approximately 7.41 cartridges.

This means the patient can safely take up to a little over 7 cartridges. However, since cartridges cannot be divided in practice, it is important to consider only whole cartridges. The maximum whole number of cartridges that can be administered safely is 7.

The choice indicating 6 cartridges is correct with respect to the question about safety because rounding it down to avoid exceeding the safe limit aligns with best practices in medical dosage. Therefore, administering 6 cartridges stays within the recommended safety range.

It is crucial to ensure that medication dosages are kept within safe limits, especially in dental anesthesia, to prevent any potential adverse reactions or overdose scenarios.