Expressions of Concentrations

Quamrun Masuda, PhD, RPh 276-498-5241 qmasuda@acpharm.org

Reference: Pharmaceutical Calculations (13th edn) By Howard C Ansel e-copy: http://thepoint.lww.com/Ansel13e Chapter 6

Learning Objective
After completion of this lesson, students will be able to: Express concentration of a product in %w/v, %v/v, %w/w and ratio strength. Express concentration in PPM & convert that to %.

Calculate the %strength and ratio strength of a pharmaceutical preparation.

Apply %strength and ratio strength to calculate the quantity of an ingredient in pharmaceutical compounding.

Percentage (%)

In pharmacy and medicine, percentages are often used for expressing concentrations. The term percentage and its corresponding sign (%) mean by the hundred or in a hundred, and means rate per hundred - from the Latin per centum, meaning per 100.

Percentage (%)
Based on General Notices of the USP, unless otherwise stated, percent has the following meanings:

Solids and Semisolids: %w/w number of grams of solid ingredient in 100 g of solid or semisolid mixture.
Solutions or Suspensions of solids in liquids: %w/v - number of grams of solid ingredient in 100 mL of preparation. Solutions of liquids in liquids: %v/v the number of mL of liquid ingredient in 100 mL of solution. Solutions of gases in liquids: %w/v the number of grams of gas in 100 mL of solution.

Calculations based on Percentage %(w/v)

How many grams of dextrose are required to prepare 4000 mL of a 5% solution?

Solving by proportional analysis:

Solving by dimensional analysis:

Calculations based on Percentage

How many grams of dextrose are required to prepare 4000 mL of a 5% solution?

Solving by proportional analysis:

5 g drug 100 mL

xg , x 200 g dextrose 4000 mL

Solving by dimensional analysis:

5 g dextrose x 4000 mL 100 mL 200 g dextrose

Calculations based on Percentage

How many grams of aminobenzoic acid should be used in preparing 8 fluidounces of a 5% solution in 70% alcohol? Solving by dimensional analysis:
5 g drug 29.57 mL x 8 fl ounce x 100 mL 1 fl ounce 11.83 g

Practice Problem: Question # 11

NEUPOGEN (filgrastim) prefilled syringes contain 480 g of active constituent in each 0.8 mL. What is the equivalent %concentration?

Practice Problem: Question # 12

LEVAQUIN (levofloxacin) injection contains 5 mg/mL of levofloxacin and 5% of dextrose. How much of each would be delivered to a patient upon the administration of a 100-mL injection?

Calculations based on Percentage

How many milliliters of a 3% solution can be made from 27 g of ephedrine sulfate? Solving by proportional analysis:

Percentage Volume-in-Volume (%v/v)

In preparing 250 mL of a certain lotion, a pharmacist used 4 mL of liquefied phenol. What was the percentage (v/v) of liquefied phenol in the lotion? Solving by proportional analysis:

Percentage Volume-in-Volume (%v/v)

In preparing 250 mL of a certain lotion, a pharmacist used 4 mL of liquefied phenol. What was the percentage (v/v) of liquefied phenol in the lotion? Solving by proportional analysis:

Questions
Q1. A formula for an antifungal shampoo contains 2% w/v ketoconazole. How many grams of ketoconazole would be needed to prepare 25 liters of the shampoo?

Practice Problem: Question # 20

A pharmacist adds 10 mL of a 20% (w/v) solution of a drug to 500 mL of D5W for parenteral infusion. What is the percentage strength of the drug in the infusion solution?

Practice Problem: Question # 22

VIRAMUNE Oral Suspension contains 1% w/v of nevirapine. Calculate the milligrams of nevirapine present in a 240 mL bottle of the suspension.

Percentage Weight-in-Weight (%w/w)

How many grams of phenol should be used to prepare 240 g of a 5% (w/w) solution in water? Solving by proportional analysis:

Percentage Weight-in-Weight (%w/w)

How many grams of phenol should be used to prepare 240 g of a 5% (w/w) solution in water?

Note: While calculating %w/w of a solution or liquid preparation, the volume, in mL, of the solution represents the weight, in grams, of the solution or liquid preparation, as if it were pure water, unless density or specific gravity of the solution is given.

Practice Problem: Question # 39

Hydromorphone hydrochloride suppositories contain 3 mg of active ingredient and weighs approximately 2 grams each. What is the equivalent percentage strength?

Practice Problem: Question # 49

Rx
Lactic Acid Salicylic Acid Trichloroacetic Acid Flexible Collodion qs ad 4g 5g 2g 100 g

a. Flexible collodion contains 20% w/w camphor and 30% w/w castor oil. How many grams of each would be contained in 30 g of the mixture?

Ratio Strength (x:y)

Concentrations of dilute solutions or solid mixtures are sometimes expressed as ratio strengths rather than as percent. Example, 1:10,000. Ratio strength of 1:1,000 is interpreted as follows: For solids in liquids: 1 g of solute in 1,000 mL of solution. For liquids in liquids: 1 mL of liquid contains in 1,000 mL of solution. For solids in solids: 1 g of solid in 1,000 g of solid mixture.

Express 0.02% as a ratio strength

Solving by proportional analysis:

Express 1:4000 as a percentage strength.

Express 0.02% as a ratio strength

Solving by proportional analysis:

0.02 parts 100 parts

1 parts x parts

1 : 5000

Express 1:4000 as a percentage strength.

1 parts 4000 parts

x parts 100 parts

0.025%

A certain injectable contains 2 mg of a drug per milliliter of solution. What is the ratio strength (w/v) of the solution? Solving by proportional analysis:

A certain injectable contains 2 mg of a drug per milliliter of solution. What is the ratio strength (w/v) of the solution? Solving by proportional analysis:

Questions
Q2. An ear drop formula contains 54 mg of antipyrine and 14 mg of benzocaine in each milliliter of solution. Calculate the percentage strength (w/v) of each ingredient in the formula.

Practice Problem: Question # 62

VERSED Injection contains 5 mg of midazolam per milliliter of injection. Calculate the ratio strength of midazolam in the injection.

Practice Problem: Question # 65

In acute hypersensitivity reactions, 0.5 mL of a 1:1000 (w/v) solution of epinephrine may be administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Calculate the milligrams of epinephrine given.

Milligrams Percent
The term milligrams percent (mg%) expresses the number of milligrams of substance in 100 mL of liquid. It is used to denote the concentration of a drug or natural substance in the blood. The concentration of nonprotein nitrogen in the blood is 30 mg% means that each 100 mL of blood contains 30 mg of nonprotein nitrogen.

Parts per Million (PPM) and Parts per Billion (PPB) The strengths of very dilute solutions are commonly expressed in terms of parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb), i.e., the number of parts of the agent per 1 million or 1 billion parts of the whole.

For example, in fluorinated drinking water fluoride has been added at levels of between 1 to 4 parts per million (1:1,000,000 to 4:1,000,000) for the purpose of reducing dental caries.

Express 5 ppm of iron in water in percentage strength and ratio strength. Solving by Proportional analysis: % Strength:

Ratio Strength:

Express 5 ppm of iron in water in percentage strength and ratio strength. Solving by Proportional analysis: % Strength:

Ratio Strength:

Practice Problem: Question # 70

If a commercially available insulin preparation contains 1 ppm of proinsulin, how many micrograms of proinsulin would be contained in a 10-mL vial of insulin?

%strength and ratio strength of a pharmaceutical preparation

How many milligrams of hydrocortisone should be used in compounding the following prescription?

Hydrocortisone 1/8% Hydrophilic ointment ad 10 g Sig. Apply on affected area Hydrocortisone strength is 1/8% =0.125%
Solving by proportional analysis:

%strength and ratio strength of a pharmaceutical preparation

How many milligrams of hydrocortisone should be used in compounding the following prescription? Hydrocortisone 1/8% Hydrophilic ointment ad 10 g Sig. Apply Hydrocortisone strength is 1/8% =0.125% Solving by proportional analysis:

Use of % in Compendial Standard USP use % to express the degree of tolerance permitted in the purity of single-chemical entities and in the labeled quantities of ingredients in dosage forms. e.g. Aspirin contains not less than 99.5% and not more than 100.5% of C9H8O4 (pure chemical aspirin) calculated on the dried weight basis. Aspirin Tablets contain not less than 90.0% and not more than 110.0% of the labeled amount of C9H8O4.

Q: If ibuprofen tablets are permitted to contain not less than 90% and not more than 110% of the labeled amount of ibuprofen, what would be the permissible range in content of the drug, expressed in milligrams, for ibuprofen tablets labeled 200 mg each? Solving by proportional analysis:

If ibuprofen tablets are permitted to contain not less than 90% and not more than 110% of the labeled amount of ibuprofen, what would be the permissible range in content of the drug, expressed in milligrams, for ibuprofen tablets labeled 200 mg each? Solving by proportional analysis:

Questions
Q3. How many milliliters of a 0.9% (w/v) solution of sodium chloride can be prepared from 50 tablets, each containing 2.25 g of sodium chloride?