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Drug Calculations For Nurses

This document provides information and examples for calculating drug dosages and infusion rates. It includes conversions between different units of measurement for drugs. It also gives examples of calculating required tablet amounts, drug volumes, and infusion drip rates based on available drug amounts, volumes, dosages, patient weights, and durations of infusion.

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251 views4 pages

Drug Calculations For Nurses

This document provides information and examples for calculating drug dosages and infusion rates. It includes conversions between different units of measurement for drugs. It also gives examples of calculating required tablet amounts, drug volumes, and infusion drip rates based on available drug amounts, volumes, dosages, patient weights, and durations of infusion.

Uploaded by

ynottrip
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Academic Skills Advice

Drug Calculations Refresher Sheet

Conversions:
X 1000 X 1000 X 1000

Grams mg mcg litres ml

1000 1000 1000

Body Weight:
4mg/kg means give 4mg for every kg the person weighs.

A 75 kg person would need 75 x 4 = 300mg.

Tablets:
Amount prescribed = Number required
Amount in a tablet

Dosage Calculations (liquids or injections):


Required drug dose = Amount you want x Volume its in
Amount you have

e.g. 50mg of a drug is required and your stock is 150mg in 6ml.


1 2
Required dose = (want) 50 x 6 (vol) = 50 x 6 = 2ml
(have) 150 150
3
1

Hours 60

Remember:
Before doing any calculations make sure your units are the same.

H Jackson 2008 / Academic Skills 1


Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
You may find this a useful way to find infusion rates (as taught on Safe Medicate ).

Infusion Rates:
You could be asked for ml/hour (ml per hour) or drops/min (drops per min).

A standard giving set will administer: Clear: 20 drops/ml


Blood: 15 drops/ml
Paediatric: 60 drops/ml

()
To calculate: ml per hour =

()
To calculate: Drops per min = (
)

60
Where: drop rate denominator (DRD) =

To complete the boxes in Safe Medicate:


()
1st part: = /

( 1)
2nd part: =

e.g. A prescription asks for 800ml, via I.V. infusion for 5 hours.
The I.V. administration set administers 15 drops/ml.

800
1st part: 5
= 160 /

160
2nd part: 4
= 40

60
(DRD = 15 = 4 because the set administers 15 drops per ml)

H Jackson 2008 / Academic Skills 2


Try some conversions:
1. 685 micrograms (mcg) = ? mg

2. 24 ml = ? litres

3. 1500g = ? kg

4. 4.5 litres = ? ml

5. 0.02mg = ? mcg

6. 7mg = ? mcg

7. 0.4kg = ? g

8. 8 grams = ? mcg

Tricky questions:

9. 200mg/4ml = ? mg/ml

10. 280mg/7ml = ? mcg/ml

Drug Calculation Questions (give answers to 3dp where appropriate):


1) How many 40mg tablets of codeine are required for a dose of 0.08g?

2) Gentamycin dose is 7mg/kg daily given in divided doses three times. How much
should a patient weighing 84kg receive at each dose?

3) A 70mg post immunisation dose of paracetamol is required. Stock available is


140mg in 5ml. What volume is required?

4) A 40mg dose of Amoxicillin is required. Stock available is 200mg in 10ml. What


volume is required?

5) Using an infusion pump what rate is required, in ml/hr, for 1 litre of 0.9% sodium
chloride over 4 hours?

6) Using an infusion pump what rate is required, in ml/hr, for 3 litre of 0.9% sodium
chloride over 6 hours?

7) 800ml of sodium chloride 0.9% is to run over 8 hours. Calculate the drip rate in
drops per minute. The I.V. set administers 20 drops/ml.

H Jackson 2008 / Academic Skills 3


8) A unit of blood with a volume of 380ml is to run over 4 hours. Calculate the drip
rate. The I.V. set administers 15 drops/ml.

9) 1.8 litres of drug x is to run over 9 hours. Calculate the drip rate in drops per minute.
The I.V. set administers 12 drops/ml.

10) 900ml of drug y is to run over 3 hours. Calculate the drip rate in drops per minute.
The I.V. set administers 10 drops/ml.

H Jackson 2008 / Academic Skills 4

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