Medication Math Flashcards
To convert a smaller unit to a larger unit…
move the decimal point 3 places per unit of measurement to the left.
To convert a larger unit to a smaller unit…
move the decimal point 3 places per unit of measurement to the right.
1 kg
1,000 g
1 g
1,000 mg
1 mg
1,000 mcg
Kilo
One Thousand
Centi
One Hundredth
Milli
One Thousanth
Micro
One Millionth
To convert pounds to kilograms…
cut the weight in half then subtract 10% of that number from itself.
To find 10% of a number…
move the decimal point one place to the left.
Desired Dose
The dose we want to administer to the patient.
Total Drug Amount
The total amount of drug within its container.
Total Drug Volume
The amount of fluid within a drug’s container.
Administered Volume
The amount of fluid (mL) we will administer to a patient.
Medication concentrations are expressed as a unit of weight per volume…
Concentration (mg/mL) = Total Drug / Total Volume
To determine the concentration of a medication that is expressed as a percentage…
Take the percentage number and make it grams. Then take the number of grams and place it over 100 mL. Finally, reduce the fraction.
Example: Dextrose 50%
50% = 50 grams
50g / 100mL = 5000 mg / 100mL = 500mg/mL
Bolus
Administering a specific amount all at once.
Drip
Administering a certain amount of drug slowly over a period of time.
To determine how many milliliters of medication needed to be administered…
mL to be administered = (total volume X desired dose) / total amount of drug
OR
mL to be administered = desired dose / concentration
Maintenance Drip
Allows the therapeutic levels of a drug to be maintained after giving a bolus medication. –Usually dripped at a specific rate instead of a specified dose.
Bolus Over Time
A bolus that must be administered over a certain length of time.
Macro Drip Set
10-15 gtt/mL. Generally used for fluid administration because they allow for quick administration of large amounts of volume.
Micro Drip Set
60 gtt/mL. Generally used for medication administration because medication drips usually require small amounts of medication to be administered over time.
