Unit 4: Drug calculations.

• Weight per weight

• Volume per volume
• Weight per volume
• Simple dilution problems

Questions Answers

1 Convert the following: (a) 50 mg

(a) 0.05 g to mg 0.05 g X 1000 = 50 mg

(b) 0.025 Litre to mLs (b) 25 mLs

(c) 1575 micrograms to mg 0.025 L X 1000 = 25 mLs

(d) 750 mg to grams (c) 1.575 mg

1575 micrograms ÷ 1000 = 1.575

2 A patient is prescribed 0.25 mg of digoxin orally once daily. One
mg tablet

How many tablets should you give? (Stock = NB

(d)The
0.75correct
g way of writing
the dose on the drug chart is 250
digoxin 250 microgram tablets) micrograms
750 mg ÷ 1000 = 0.75 g

3 A patient is prescribed insulin 22 units subcutaneously. 0.22 mL

How many mLs should you give? (22 units ÷ 100 units) X 1 mL =
0.22 mL
(Stock = 10 mL vial of 100 units in 1 mL)

4 You draw up 10 mL of 2 % lidocaine in a syringe. 200 mg

How many mg of lidocaine is there in 10 mL? 2

%
5 You have a stock vial of diclofenac (75 mg in 3 mL) and need 2 mL
=
to draw up a dose of 50 mg for your patient. (50 mg ÷ 75 mg) X 3 = 2 mL
2
How many mLs should you draw up to give this dose?
g

n
6 A patient weighing 60 kg is prescribed intravenous 3.6 mL/hour

dopamine 4 micrograms/kg/minute. 60 kg X 4 micrograms= 240

micrograms/min
Calculate the infusion rate in mLs/hour.
To convert to micrograms/hour:
(Stock = dopamine 200 mg in 50 mL glucose 5%)

240 micrograms X 60 = 14 400

micrograms/hour

To convert to mg/hour:

14 400 micrograms ÷ 1000 = 14.4

mg/hour

To convert to mLs/hour:

(14.4 mg ÷ 200 mg) X 50 mL = 3.6

mL/hour

7 What is the total daily dose in mg, when drug B is prescribed 3 mg

to an adult weighing 75 kg at dose of 40 micrograms/kg/day in 3 75 kg X 40 micrograms = 3000

divided doses? micrograms which is equal to 3
mg

8 How many mg is required for a single dose in Q7 above? 1 mg

3 mg per day ÷ 3 doses = 1 mg

9 To administer 500 micrograms of adrenaline intravenously, 5 mL

how many mLs should you give? 1 in 10 000 = 1 in 10 000 = 1 g in

10 000 mLs, which is the same
(Stock = adrenaline 10 mL solution of 1 in 10 000) as:

1000 mg in 10 000 mLs = 1 mg in

10 To administer 400 micrograms of folic acid syrup orally, how 0.8 mL
10 mLs

many mLs should you give? 2.5 mg inthis

Convert 5 mLs = 2500
to micrograms:
micrograms in 5 mL
(Stock = folic acid 2.5 mg in 5 mLs) 1 mg in 10 mLs = 1000
(400 micrograms
micrograms in 10 ÷mLs
2500
micrograms) X 5 mL = 0.8 mL
Therefore (500 micrograms ÷
11 If you want to administer 3 mg / kg of 1 % lidocaine to a 72 1000 micrograms) X 10 mLs = 5
21.6 mLs
mLs
kg man, how many mLs should you give? 3 mg X 72 kg = 216 mg

1 % = 1 g in 100 mLs = 1000 mg

in 100 mLs

(216 mg ÷ 1000 mg) X 100 mLs =

21.6 mLs
12 To prepare 62.5 micrograms of digoxin for intravenous 0.25 mL

administration, how many mLs should you give? (62.5 micrograms ÷ 500
micrograms) X 2 mL = 0.25 mL
(Stock = digoxin 500 micrograms in 2 mL)

13 You are required to administer 150 mg hydrocortisone 3 mL

(150 mg ÷ 100 mg) X 2 mL = 3 mL
intravenously, how many mLs should you give?

(Stock = hydrocortisone 100 mg in 2 mL)

14 To administer heparin 3500 units, how many mLs is 0.7 mL

required? (3500 units ÷ 5000 units) X 1 mL

= 0.7 mL
(Stock = heparin 5000 units in 1 mL)

15 A child weighing 19 kg requires 400 micrograms/kg of a) 5 mg

adrenaline 1 in 1000 for nebulisation with a maximum dose of 5
b) 5 mL
mg.
a) 400 microgram X 19 kg
a) What dose should be prescribed for this child?

= 7600 micrograms which is

b) How many mLs of adrenaline is required?
equivalent to 7.6 mg; however
maximum dose is 5 mg.

b) 1 in 1000 = 1 g in 1000 mL
Equivalent to 1000 mg in 1000
mL (5 mg ÷ 1000 mg) X 1000 mL
= 5 mL

16 A patient weighing 65 kg is prescribed intravenous 32.5 mL / hour

aminophylline 500 micrograms/kg/hour. Calculate the 500 micrograms X 65 kg

infusion rate in mLs/hour. = 32 500 micrograms/hour

(Stock = aminophylline 500 mg in 500 mL sodium chloride = 32.5 mg/hour

0.9%) (32.5 mg ÷ 500 mg) X 500 mL =

32.5 mL/hour
17 A patient weighing 75 kg is prescribed intravenous 30 minutes

phenytoin 1500 mg. Over how many minutes can you give the To give 1500 mg at a maximum
rate of 50 mg/minute:
infusion over so that the maximum rate of 50 mg/minute is
1500 mg ÷ 50 mg = 30 minutes
achieved?

18 A patient weighing 80 kg is prescribed subcutaneous 1.4 mL

tinzaparin 175 units/kg once daily. How many mLs should be 175 units X 80 kg = 14 000 units

administered to the patient? (14 000 units ÷ 20 000 units) X 2

mL = 1.4 mL
(Stock = tinzaparin 20 000 units in 2 mL)

19 A patient is prescribed prednisolone 40 mg once daily in the a) 8 tablets

morning for 5 days. 40 mg ÷ 5 mg = 8

a) How many tablets should you give the patient every b) 40 tablets
8 x 5 = 40
morning?

b) What is the total number of 5 mg tablets required to

complete the course?

(Stock = prednisolone 5 mg tablets)

20 You are required to administer 8 mmols of magnesium 4 mLs

sulphate intravenously. How many mLs of magnesium 1 g = 4 mmols therefore 2 g = 8

mmols
sulphate should you draw up for further dilution?
(2 g ÷ 5 g) X 10 mL = 4 mLs
(Stock = magnesium sulphate 5 g in 10 mLs; where 1 g = 4

mmols of magnesium)