Nursing Services

Medication Module
Introduction
Basic rules / terminologies
 Metric problems
 Conversions
 Rounding off
 Drug dosage units

Dosage calculation
Metric exercises
Drug dosage calculassions practice exercices
Medication Module

 Nurses have many responsibilities related to care of

patients; out of which one of the prime function ‟is
the safe calculation and accurate administration of
medications”.
This package consists of:
1. Basic rules for different calculations.
2. Dosage calculations of drugs / solutions.
3. Rate of IV administration.
4. IV infusion with specific concentration.
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES:

1. Whole number: A number without fractions,

example: 5, 17, 438, 10592

2. Decimals:
a) Decimal  Generally used to mean a number which
includes a decimal point example: 6.35, 0.748, 0.002, 236.5
b) Decimal places  Numbers to the right of decimal point.
example: 236.5 has 1 decimal place
6.35 has 2 decimal places 0.748 has 3 decimal places 0.0025
has 4 decimal places
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
3. Multiplication by 10, 100 & 1000
To multiply by Move the decimal point

10 1 place right

100 2 places right

1000 3 places right

BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES

2.5% means 2.5 parts per 100 parts

BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
6. Converting metric units and mls of Blood
products in a bag:
1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (μg)
1 liter (L) = 1000 Milliliters (ml)
1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)
1 milligram (mg) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
1 Pack Cell = 300 ml
1 Whole Blood = 500 ml
1 FFP = 150 ml
1 PLT = 50 ml
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
7. Rounding-off decimal numbers:
* Method: If the second decimal place is 5 or
more, then add 1 to the first decimal place as it is.
(i) Rounding-off to one decimal place:
Example:
 0.62 = 0.6
 1.75 = 1.8
 3.49 = 3.5
 9.6 = 10
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
(ii) Rounding-off to two decimal places:
If the third decimal place is five or more then add one
to the second decimal place. If the third decimal place
is less than 5 then leave the second decimal place as it
is.
Example:
 0.827 = 0.83
 2.145 = 2.15
 0.694 = 0.69
 2.398 = 2.4
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
(iii) Round off to three decimal places:
If the fourth decimal place is 5 or more then add one
to the third decimal place. If the fourth decimal place
is less than 5 then leave the third decimal place as it
is:
 0.7854 = 0.785
 0.9705 = 0.971
 1.5968 = 1.597
 1.9999 = 2
BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
8. Dosage calculations should be done in same units.
9. The Units for drug dosage calculation are:
a. For ml/hr calculation= ml/hr
b. For flow rate calculation= drops/min or gtt/min

c. For concentration calculation= mcg/ml or mg/ml

BASIC RULES / TERMINOLOGIES
II. DOSAGE CALCULATION:
The drug may be available in the form of a tablet, powder,
granules, capsules, liquid or solution to be administered.
Principles applied in calculating the ordered dosage is
same, regardless of the route of administration and the
form it is applied.

PRACTICE EXERCISE # 1
Medication order states: “Diclofenac Sodium 50mg q8hrly
I/M.” Available is 75mg/ 3 ml. How many ml/s will you
administer?
PRACTICE EXERCISE # 2 A

Medication order read: “Give syrup largactil 1.5mg/

kg/ day/ po every 6 hrly”. Available is 50mg/ 2 ml.
Child’s weight is 9.5kg Calculate the ml/s patient
will receive ?
PRACTICE EXERCISE # 2 B:
Medication order states “Give syrup Digoxin 5mcg/ kg
Po, stat.” Available is 50 mcg/ ml/s, patient’s weight is
9 kg. How many ml/s will you give?
III. RATE OF ADMINISTRATION OF
I.V FLUIDS
D.F stands for Drop factor or Set Calibration, that
is, drops in one ml of desired set.
 Regular set/ macro chamber = 15 gtt/ml
 Paediatric/ Burretol/ micro chamber = 60 gtt/ml
 Blood = 10 gtt/ml
PRACTICE EXERCISE # 3A:
Give Aminophyline250mg in 500cc of DW in 10 hrs.
Calculate cc/ hr and flow rate.
PRACTICE EXERCISE # 3 B:

Give Heparin 1500 units in 500 N/S over 5hours.

Calculate cc/hr, units/hr and flow rate using
micro chamber.
PRACTICE EXERCISE :

Medication order states: “Give GTN infusion at the

rate of 10mcg/ min. The dilution is to be made by
adding 10ml of GTN (10mg) in 90ml of normal saline.
(a) What will be the concentration of GTN in 1cc
solution?
(b) How many drops/ minute will the patient receive?
(Use paediatric set)
PRACTICE EXERCISE
PART 1:
a) Multiply
i. 0.68 X 10
ii. 0.975 X 100
iii. 3.7 X 1000
iv. 5.62 X 10
v. 77 X 100
vi. 825 X 1000
vii. 0.2 X 100
viii. 0.046 X 100
ix. 0.0147 X 1000
x. 0.006 X 10
PRACTICE EXERCISE
b) Divide (Write answers in decimal form)
i. 68/10
ii. 2.29/100
iii. 51.4/1000
iv. 916/10
v. 67.2/100
vi. 387/1000
vii. 8.94/10
viii. 0.707/100
ix. 307/1000
x. 7.5/10
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 c) Change to milligrams
 i. 4 g
 ii. 8.7 g
 iii. 0.69 g
 iv. 0.035 g
 v. 4.28 g

 d) Change to grams
 i. 6000 mg
 ii. 865 mg
 iii. 12.5 mg
 iv. 70 mg
 v. 5 mg
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 e) Change into microgram
 i. 0.195 mg
 ii. 0.6 mg
 iii. 75 mg
 iv. 0.08 mg
 v. 0.001 mg

 f) Change into milligrams

 i. 825 micrograms
 ii. 65 micrograms
 iii. 9.5 micrograms
 iv. 5 micrograms
 v. 20.8 micrograms
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 g) Change into milliliters
 i. 30 L
 ii. 1.5 L
 iii. 1.67
 iv. 0.8 L
 v. 0.75 L

 h) Change into Liters

 i. 4000 ml
 ii. 10000 ml
 iii. 625 ml
 iv. 95 ml
 v. 5 ml
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 i) Write each number correct to one decimal place
 i. 0.93
 ii. 1.22
 iii. 0.16
 iv. 2.65
 v. 8.02

 j) Write each number correct to two decimal places

 i. 0.333
 ii. 1.667
 iii. 0.875
 iv. 0.833
 v. 0.142
PRACTICE EXERCISE
k) Write each number correct to three decimal
places
i. 9.4863
ii. 1.5288
iii. 0.3113
iv. 2.8585
v. 0.1699
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 PART 1:
 1. Medication order states: dose of Flagyl is 2000mg q8h. Available is 2000mg/5ml. how
many ml will you give?
 2. Dose ordered is 160 mg PO. Available is 0.08gm/tab. How many tab/s will you give?
 3. Give gentamycin 4 mg/kg q8hrly. Available is 80 mg/2 ml. child’s weight is 5 kg. How
many ml will you give each time?
 4. IV fluid order states: give 1000 ml of Inj. D/S at 125 ml/hr. calculate the flow rate
using the pediatric set?
 5. Give digoxin 0.05 gm/kg IV OD. Available is 250 mg/2ml. patients weight is 3 kg. How
many mls will you give?
 6. Give 400,000 units of penicillin IV every 6 hourly. The available dose is a multiple
dose via labeled 1,000,000 units in 5 ml. how many ml/s will you give?
 7. Order states: 1500 ml of Inj 5% D/W is to infused in 10 hours with regular set.
Calculate
 a. How many ml/hr
 b. Flow rate
PRACTICE EXERCISE
 8. Give 1000 units of heparin in 500 ml of N/S to run over 06 hours.
 a. Calculate ml/hr?
 b. How many drops/min would you gve using the regular IV set?
 c. How many units of heparin patien will get each hour?
 9. Give lignocaine 2 mg/min. dilution strength is to be made by
adding 30 ml of lignocaine 600 mg in 70 ml of 5% D/W.
 a. Calculate concentration
 b. Calculate flow rate of pediatric set
 10. Give dopamine 20mcg/kg/min. patient weight is 80 kg. the
dilution is to be made by adding 10 cc of dopamine 250mg in 90 cc of
5% D/W.
 a. Calculate Concentration.
 b. Calculate flow rate using pediatric set.
PART 2:
 1. The recommended dose of Lasix is 2 mg/kg/day divided q8h. What
is the recommended single q8h dose for a 20 Kg child, when the
available is 20mg/ml?
 2. Order is to give Calcium Gluconate 400mg IV. Available is
1000mg/10ml. What will be the dosage?
 3. Give syrup Negram 450mg. Available is 250mcg/5ml. How many
ml/s will you give?
 4. Order is to give Salbutamol nebulizer 2.5 mg q4hrly. Available is
100mg/20ml. How much dose will you give to patient?
 5. Give Largectil 0.5gm/kg/day IV q 6 hrly. Patient weighs 39.5 Kg and
available is 500mg/2ml. What dose will you give to patient?
 6. Administer erythropoietin 75U/kg. Patient weighs 28 Kg. on hand
you have 2000U/0.5ml. How much dose should the patient
receive?
PART 2:
7. Administer Temgesic 100 mcg IM stat. If the available
drug comes in strength of 0.3 mg/ml, what dose will the
patient receive?
8. Order states: Give atropine 600mcg. You have Atropine
1mg/ml. How many ml/s will you administer to
patient?

9. Order states: Give morphine 0.5 mg/kg IV. Available is

15mg/ml and patient’s weight is 20kg. What will be the
dosage?
10. Medication order states: Give injection Flagyl 800 mg
IV q 8 hrly. Available is 500 mg/ 100 ml. How many ml
will you give in one dose?
PART 3
 1. The order is to give Mandol 1g q6h IVPB. Recommended dilution is 100cc of
compatible IV fluid. Recommended time of administration is 30 minutes.
Using micro chamber, determine the drops/min needed to give a 100 cc
piggyback in 30 minutes.
 2. The order is to give Aldomet 250 mg q6h IVPB. The medication is
diluted in 100 cc of 5% dextrose. Using 60 drops/cc, Find the rate in
drops/min needed to give the Aldomet over 1 hour.
 3. The physician has ordered Garamycin 80 mg q8h. The medication is
dissolved in 150 ml of normal saline. Using 15 drops/cc, find the rate in
drops/min needed to give the medication in 45 minutes.
 4. The patient is to receive 100 mg of Vibramycin q12h IVPB dissolved in 500
cc of IV fluid. The medication is to be infused over 3 hours. Determine the
rate of IV in cc/h.
 5. A patient is receiving heparin at a rate of 1500 units in 500 cc Normal Saline
over 5
 hours. Find the rate in cc/h, drops/minute (DF60gtts/ml) and units of
 heparin/hour.
PART 3
6. Give 2 pints packed cells (300 each) over 6 hours. Calculate
ml/hr and flow rate (DF 
10 gtts/ml)
7. Dilution contains injection KCl 20meq in 500ml of N/S.
Patients has to get 100ml/hr. How
much KCl and mls patient will receive in each hour?
8. Give ampicillin 1400mg q12 hrly. Available is 500mg/5 ml that
is further diluted in 250cc
N/S to be given over 1.5 hours. Calculate ml/hr and drops/
min using regular chamber.
9. Order states: Transfuse 20 FFPs (150 each) over 1.5 hrs.
Calculate cc/hrs and drops/min.
10. 10. Give injection Heparin 25000U in 1000ml N/S in 10 hours.
Calculate cc/hrs and drops/min using macro chamber.
PART 4:
 1. The order is to give Dobutrex (dobutamine) 250 mg in 250 cc of 5% dextrose
at a rate of 6
 μg/kg/min. The patient weighs 50 kg. Take out the concentration, and find
the rate of IV in drops/min using 60 gtts/cc.
 2. The order is to give Dopamine at a rate of 7 μg/kg/min. The available drug
is 200 mg dissolved in 500 ml. The patient weighs 130 lb. What will be the
concentration and drops/ minute, using the burretol?
 3. The order is for Intropin (dopamine) 13 ug/kg/min using 400 mg in 100 cc of
normal saline. The patient weighs 90 kg. Using 60 gtts/cc, find the
concentration and gtts/min.
 4. The patient is receiving Dopamine at a rate of 20 mcg/kg/min. The weight
of the patient is 65 kg. What will be the concentration of Dopamine (200)
mg in 100 ml. Find the drops/ minute, the patient is receiving by using
burretol set.
 5. A 56 Kg patient is receiving Dobutrex (dobutramine) 4 μg/kg/min through a
micro chamber. The drug is diluted as 350mg in 100cc Normal Saline. Find
the concentration and gtts/min that the patient is receiving.
ANSWER KEYS:
PART 1:
l) Multiply
i. 6.8
ii. 97.5
iii. 3700
iv. 56.2
v. 7700
vi. 825000
vii. 20
viii. 4.6
ix. 14.7
x. 0.06
ANSWER KEYS:

 m) Divide (Write answers in decimal form)

 i. 6.8
 ii. 0.0229/100
 iii. 0.0514
 iv. 91.6
 v. 0.672
 vi. 0.387
 vii. 0.894
 viii. 0.00707
 ix. 0.307
 x. 0.75

 n) Change to milligrams
 i. 4000 mg
 ii. 8700 mg
 iii. 690 mg
 iv. 35 mg
 v. 4280 mg
ANSWER KEYS:

 o) Change to grams
 i. 6 g
 ii. 0.865 g
 iii. 0.0125 g
 iv. 0.070 g
 v. 0.005 g

 p) Change into microgram

 i. 195 mcg
 ii. 600 mcg
 iii. 75000 mcg
 iv. 80 mcg
 v. 1 mcg
ANSWER KEYS:

 q) Change into milligrams

 i. 0.825 mg
 ii. 0.065 mg
 iii. 0.0095 mg
 iv. 0.005 mg
 v. 0.0208 mg

 r) Change into milliliters

 i. 30000 ml
 ii. 1500 ml
 iii. 1670 ml
 iv. 800 ml
 v. 750 ml

 s) Change into Liters

 i. 4 L
 ii. 10 L
 iii. 0.625 L
 iv. 0.095 L
 v. 0.005 L
ANSWER KEYS:

 t) Write each number correct to one decimal place

 i. 9.3
 ii. 12.2
 iii. 1.6
 iv. 26.5
 v. 80.2

 u) Write each number correct to two decimal places

 i. 03.33
 ii. 16.67
 iii. 08.75
 iv. 08.33
 v. 01.42

 v) Write each number correct to three decimal places

 i. 94.863
 ii. 15.288
 iii. 3.113
 iv. 28.585
 v. 1.699
ANSWER KEYS:
 PART 1:
 1. 50 ml
 2. 2 tabs
 3. 0.5 ml
 4. 125cc/hr
 5. 1.2 ml
 6. 2 ml
 7.
 a. 150 ml/hr
 b. 37.5-> 38 gtt/min
 8.
 a. 83.3 ml/hr
 b. 20.7-> 21gtt/min
 c. 166.6-> 167units/hr
 9.
 a. 6 mg/ml
 b. 20 gtt/min
 10.
 a. 2.5 mg/ml or 2500mcg/ml
 b. 38.4-> 38gtt/min
ANSWER KEYS:
 PART 2:
 1. 2ml
 2. 4 ml
 3. 9 ml
 4. 0.5 ml
 5. 79 ml
 6. 0.525 units
 7. 0.33 ml
 8. 0.6 ml
 9. 0.66 ml
 10. 160 ml

 PART 3:
 1. 200 gtt/min
 2. 100 gtt/min
 3. 50 gtt/min
 4. 166.6-> 167gtt/min
 5.
 a. 100cc/hr
 b. 100 gtt/min
 c. 300 u/hr
 6.
 a. 100 ml/hr
 b. 16.6-> 17 gtt/min
 7. 4 meq/hr
ANSWER KEYS:

 8.
 a. 41.6-> 42 gtt/min
 b. 166.6 ml/hr
 9.
 a. 2000 ml/hr
 b. 333 gtt/min
 10.
 a. 100 ml/hr
 b. 25 gtt/min
 PART 4:
 1.
 a. 1 mg/ml or 1000 mcg/ml
 b. 18 gtt/min
 2.
 a. 0.4 mg/ml or 400 mcg/ml
 b. 61.95-> 62 gtt/min
 3.
 a. 4 mg/ml or 4000 mcg/ml
 b. 17.5 -> 18 gtt/min
 4.
 a. 2 mg/ml or 2000 mcg/ml
 b. 39 gtt/min
 5.
 a. 3.5 mg/ml or 3500 mcg/ml
 b. 3.84-> 4 gtt/min
THANK YOU