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Medication Calculation: Dosage and Conversions

This document provides information and examples on how to calculate medication dosages and infusion rates. It discusses converting between different units of measurement for drugs, liquids, and weights. Sample problems demonstrate calculating the number of tablets or amount of liquid needed based on the prescribed dosage and drug strength. Other examples show setting infusion drip rates based on the amount of fluid and time over which it should be administered. The document also lists the "7 Rights" of safe medication administration and common conversion factors between units.

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Karen Ruste Villaluna-Abulencia
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143 views3 pages

Medication Calculation: Dosage and Conversions

This document provides information and examples on how to calculate medication dosages and infusion rates. It discusses converting between different units of measurement for drugs, liquids, and weights. Sample problems demonstrate calculating the number of tablets or amount of liquid needed based on the prescribed dosage and drug strength. Other examples show setting infusion drip rates based on the amount of fluid and time over which it should be administered. The document also lists the "7 Rights" of safe medication administration and common conversion factors between units.

Uploaded by

Karen Ruste Villaluna-Abulencia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Medication Calculation

D = Desired Dose
Q = Quantity of Solution
H = Strength on Hand
X = Unknown quantity of Drug
Sample:
 Physician orders 500 mg of ibuprofen (desired Dose) for a patient and you
have 250 mg (Quantity on Hand) tablets (Quantity of solution) on hand.
 Solution: D ÷ H x Q = X 500mg ÷ 250 mg x 1 tablet = 2 tablets Answer: 2
tablets.
Sample:
 Physician orders 1500 mg of liquid ibuprofen for a patient. Quantity of
Ibuprofen is 500 mg in 1 cc, how much will you administer?
 Solution: 1500 mg ÷ 500 mg x 1cc = 3 cc Answer: 3 cc
Dosage and Conversions
Sample:
 MD orders 300 mg of Ibuprophen to be taken by a 6 kg infant every 4
hours. Label shows 75 – 150 mg/kg per day. Is the physician’s order
within normal range?
 Solution: 6 x 75 = 450 mg (minimum dosage per day); 150 X6 = 900
(maximum dosage per day) 24 ÷ 4 = 6 dosages : 300 x 6 = 1800
 Answer: Dosage is not within range
IV Calculations
[amount of fluid to be infused] x [drop factor] ÷ minutes to infuse = gtts/min

Sample:
 Dr. A. orders your patient to receive 125 ml of D5W an hour for the next 8
hours. The nursing unit uses tubing with a drop factor of 10. What is the
drip rate per minute?
 Solution: Convert 1 hour to 60 minutes: 1250 x 10 gtts ÷ 60 minutes =
20.83 or 21 gtts/min
 Answer: 21 gtts/min
Sample:
 Dr. B. orders a liter of D5W to run this 8-hour shift. The drop factor is 15.
What is the drip rate per minute?
 Solution: 1 liter = 1000 cc of solution, next convert 8 hours to minutes (8 X
60 minutes) = 480 minutes 1000 cc x 15 gtts ÷ 480 minutes = 31.25 or 31
gtts/min
 Answer: 31 gtts/min
Sample:
 Your patient weighs 200 lb and the order is to infuse 250 mg dobutamine
in 500 ml NS at 10 mcg/kg/min. How many milligrams of dobutamine will
infuse per hour?
 Solution: 200÷2.2= 90.90kg: 60 minutes = 1 hour: 10 mcg x 90.90kg x 60
min=5454.54 mcg/hour ÷ 1000 = 54.54mg/hr or 54.5mg/hr
 Answer:54.5mg/hr
The “7 Rights” of Medication Administration
1. Right Patient
2. Right Drug
3. Right Dose
4. Right Route
5. Right Time
6. Right Documentation
7. Right to Refuse
Conversion Table
 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)
 1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
 Convert Grams to Milligrams by Multiplying grams by 1,000
 Convert Milligrams to grams by dividing milligrams by 1,000
 1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg)
 Grains (gr.) 15 = 1 Gram (g) or 1000 milligrams (mg)
 To convert g. to gr multiply by 15
 To convert gr to g divide by 15.
 1 Grain (gr.) = 60 Milligrams (mg)
 To convert gr. to mg multiply gr. by 60
 To convert mg to gr. divide mg. by 60
 1ml = 1 cc
 1 ounce = 30 ml
 1 tablespoon (T or tbsp) = 15 ml
 1 teaspoon (t or tsp) = 5 ml
 2.2 lb = 1 kg
 To convert pounds to kg divide pounds by 2.2
 To convert kg to pounds multiply by 2.2

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