Basic Computation/s

Part II
IV Drugs & IVF
Chapter 4
Interpretation/Calculati
ng Medication Dosages
 Ratio – is the relationship of two
quantities

 1:10 , 1:2500
 1/10 , 1/2500
Interpretation/Calculati
ng Medication Dosages
 RATIO

 e.g For every 20 students there is

1 teacher. The ratio of teacher to
students is 1 in 20 or 1:20 or 1/20
Interpretation/Calculati
ng Medication Dosages
 Proportion – formed by using two
ratios that are equal
 1 = 5 = 2 x 5 = 10 x 1
2 10
 Cross products are equal to
 10 = 10
 ½ is equal to 5/10
Proportion
 Dose ¼ = 3/12

 Cross products are 12 = 12

 ¼ = 3/12
Example:

 The Md orders 20 mg IM of a drug

for a patient. The drug is available in 10
ml vial that contains 50 mg of drug.
How many ml will be needed to supply
the dose of 20 mg?
Given:
 1. 10 ml vial
 2. 50 mg of drug in 10 ml vial
 3. 20 mg is the desired
Cont.
 Ratio 10ml = 1ml
 50mg 5mg
 Ratio for the required dose x ml
20 mg
Proportion: 1ml = x ml
5mg 20 mg
 5 x x = 1 x 20
 5x = 20
 x = 4ml ( 20 divided by 5 )
Example/s:.
1. Ampicillin oral susp. 250mg/5ml .
How many ml would be measured
into a medication syringe to obtain
a dose of 75mg of ampicillin?
Example/s
 2. Paracetamol 125mg/ 5ml. How
many ml would be measured into a
medication syringe to obtain 15
mg of Paracetamol?
Example/s
 3. How many ml of Paracetamol IV
should be given to obtain a dose of
15mg in a 15kg-man, if a vial
contains 300mg/2ml of
Paracetamol?
Example/s
 4. A vial contains 250mg of
tetracycline HCl in a total of 2 ml
of solution. How many mg of
tetracycline HCl are contained in
0.6 ml of this solution?
Conversion Between
Systems of
measurement
 1000 g = 1 kg
 1000 mg = 1 g
 1000 ng = 1 mcg
 1000 ml = 1 L
 100 ml = 1 dL
Conversion Between
Systems of
measurement
 Rule: 1
 To convert a quantity in the metric
system to a large metric unit (mg
to g) move the decimal point to
the left
 Smaller to larger =right to left

 Example: 2mg = 0.002g

Conversion Between
Systems of
measurement
 Rule: 2
 To convert a quantity to a smaller
metric unit, move the decimal
point to the right
 Example: 2.4 l = 2400 ml
Examples
 Convert 25 g to mg
 Convert 150 ml to liters
Apothecary System of
weights
 based upon the grain, which is the
smallest unit in the system
 Nitroglycerin 1/100gr, 1/150 gr
 Atropine sulfate 1/200gr. 1/150 gr
 Approximate equivalent
 15 grains = 1 gram
 1grain = 60 mg
Apothecary System of
weights
 Convert 15 milligrams to grains

 1 grain = x grain
60 mg 15 mg
60 x = 15
 x = 15/60
 x = .25 grain
Example:
The physician orders 7 ½ grains of
aminophylline po for a client. On hand
are aminophylline tablets 500 mg. How
many tablets are required for one dose?
GIVEN:
 1 gram = x gram
15 grain 7.5 grain

 15 x = 7.5
 x = 0.5 g (500mg)
Example:
 How many mg of nitroglycerin are
in one 1/150 grain tablet of the
drug?
 Given:
 1 gram = x gram
 15 grains 1/150 grains
 15 x = 1/150 = .0067
 x = 0.0004g = 0.4 mg
Calculation of
Fractional Doses:
 ratio and proportion
Example:
The Md orders 1,000,000 units of Pen G
for a patient. The pen G on hand is
available as a solution containing
250,000 units/ml
 250,000 units = 1, 000,000
units
1 ml x ml
 250,000x = 1,000,000

 x = 4 ml
Example 1:
 The physician orders 250 mcg of
Vitamin B12 IM daily. The vitamin
on hand is labeled 1,000mcg/ml.
How many ml should be given to
the patient?
Example 2:
 A patient is to be given 25 mg
Diphenhydramine po and is
available as 12.5mg/5ml prep..
How many ml should be given?
Example 3:
 A medication order calls for 750
mg calcium lactate to be given TID
PO. On hand are tablets of calcium
lactate 0.5 g. How many tablets
should be given for each dose?
Calculation of Dosages
Based on Weight
 The physician orders
thiabendazole chewable tablets for
a 110 pound child. The
recommended dosage is 20
mg/kg/dose. How many 500 mg
tablets should be given to this
patient for each dose.
Calculation of Dosages
Based on Weight
 Convert weight to kg
 20 mg = x mg
 1 kg 50 kg
 x = 1000 mg
 500 mg = 1000mg
 1 tab x tab
 x = 2 tablets per dose
Example:
 The recommended dose of
Meperidine is 6mg/kg/day for pain.
It is given every 4 to 6 hours. How
many ml of Demerol injection
50mg/ml should be administered
to a 33 pound child as a single
dose every 6 hours?
Cont.
 Calculate the daily dose for a 33-
pound child

 6mg/ 1 kg (2.2lb) = x mg / 33 lb
 x = 90 mg Demerol / day
Cont.
 Calculate the number of ml of
demerol injection 50 mg/ml
needed for the daily dose

 50 mg/ 1 ml = 90 mg/ x ml
Cont.
 Calculate the number of ml to be
given every 6 hours
 1.8 ml/ 24 h = x ml/ 6 h
 24 x = 10.8
 x = 0.45 ml
Calculations Involving
Intravenous
Administration
 How long will it take to complete
an IV infusion of 1.5 L of D5 W
being administered at the rate of
45 drops /min? The IV set is
calibrated to deliver 15 drops/ml.
Calculations Involving
Intravenous
Administration
 Determine the number of ml/min
being infused
 Drop rate of IV set =
 15 gtt/1ml = 45gtt/ x ml


15 x = 45


x = 3 ml/min
Calculations Involving
Intravenous
Administration
Calculate the number of ml/hour

3 ml/min. x 60 min/hr = 180/ hour

Calculations Involving
Intravenous
Administration
 Calculate the number of hours
required to administer the total
volume of the solution. If 180 ml are
delivered each hour, then how many
hours are required to administer
1,500 ml?
 180ml/hr = 1,500 ml/hr
 180 x = 1,500
 x = 8.3 hours or 8 hours 20 min.
 Calculations Involving
Piggyback IV Infusion

 An IV piggyback of Cefazolin
500mg in 100ml/hour is ordered.
The piggyback IV set is calibrated
to deliver 10 gtts.ml. How many
drops/min. should be
administered?
Calculations Involving
Piggyback IV Infusion
 100 ml/ 60 min. = x ml/ min.
 60 x = 100
 x = 1.7 ml/ min.
 Flow rate:
 Drop rate
 10 gtt/ min./ 1min. = x gtt/ 1.7 ml
 X = 17 gtt/ min.
Calculations Involving
Piggyback IV Infusion
 Daily fluid requirement
 2000ml of electrolyte solution
administered 24 hours and that
Cefazolin sodium 500 mg in 100
ml/hr is ordered QID. The number
od ml/day and the times of the
piggybank infusion must be
subtracted from the daily fluid
requirement.