Dose Calculations Pharmacology
From the journal:
Exercises from Parenteral route of administration, PK II practicals,
Also, formulas for calculating Vd, Loading dose, Dose calculation using
Young’s & Dilling’s formula for pediatric patients --to read from Gen
Pharmacology section.
In addition, discuss the following problems
1) Calculate the dose of paracetamol for a child aged 2 years using Young’s
formula. The adult dose of paracetamol is 500 mg every 8 hourly. ( It is
available as a suspension in the concentration of 250 mg/5ml )
Ans: Young’s formula
Child dose = age in years / age + 12 x adult dose
= 2 / 2+12 x 500 = 2/14 X 500 = 500/7 = 71.42 mg
So, 1.4 ml
2) Prepare Dopamine infusion for a patients weighing 60 kg. at the does
3microgram/min. Adjust the drip rate to 4ml/min.
Ans: 3 µg/kg/min for 60 kg adult is
Therefore No. of mg/hr = ?
Dose/hr = 3 x 60 x 60 µg/hr
= 3 x 60 x 60 / 1000 mg/hr
= 10.8 mg/hr
While preparation of the infusion 400 mg of dopamine is
added to 400 ml of normal saline.
400 mg = 400 ml
1 mg = 1 ml
Therefore 10.8 mg/hr = 10.8 ml/hr
= 10.8 x 60 µdrops/hr
= 10.8 x 60/60 µdrops/min
(Because 1 ml = 16 dr0ps = 60 µdrops)
10.8 mg/hr = 10.8 µdrops/min
(Dose in mg/hr = No. of µdrops/min)
= 11 µdrops/min
3) Patient diagnosed as Insomnia. Doctor prescribed 10 mg of hypnotic
drug. The t ½ of drug is 2 hrs. Patient wakes up when 1.25mg drug
remains in the body. How much dose of drug is required to produce
sleep for 8 hrs ?
Ans: 10mg ---2hr---- 5mg ------2hr----- 2.5mg -----2hr--- 1.25mg
t1/2 is 2 hours, so 6 hours will be three t1/2. To produce sleep for 8 hours one t1/2
is added. So dose needs to be doubled. 10 mg X 2 = 20 mg dose will be required.
4) Calculate the dose of metronidazole in a child aged 6 years weighing
25kg using Diling’s formula. (adult dose is 400 mg)
Ans:
Dose of Metronidazole = Age in years/ 20 x adult dose
5) Calculate the dose of iron sorbitol in the a male patient of weigh 45 kg
with haemoglobin 8 gm/dl (Normal Hb 15 gm/dl).
Ans:
Parenteral dose for iron = 4.4 x body weight in kg x haemoglobin deficit gm/ dl
= 4.4 x 45 x (14-8)
= 4.4 x 45 x 6
= 1188 mg
6) If t1/2 of digoxin is 1.5 days, after how many days will its steady state concentration be
achieved?
Ans -- SSC = 4.5 X t1/2= 4.5 X 36 hrs (1.5 days) = 162 hrs
7) A patient is given IM inj. of amoxicillin (Pka = 7.4). What % of drug will be ionized in the
blood. pH of blood is 7.4 OR
The basic drug with Pka 7.4 and PH 7.4 will be --------------%- ionized.
% ionization = 100/1+10-(pH -PKa)
= 100/1+10 (7.4-7.4)
= 100/1+10 (0)
= 100/1+1 =100/2= 50
Therefore, 50% drug will be ionized & 50% will be unionized form.
8) pKa of Aspirin is 3 and pH of stomach is 2. Calculate the % ionization of aspirin in the
stomach.
% ionization = 100/1+10x (pH -PKa)…….. (Value of x is -1 for acidic drugs & +1 for basic
drugs )
= 100/1+10-1 (2-3)
= 100/1+10-(-1)
= 100/1+10 =100/11= 9.09
Therefore, 9% drug will be ionized & 91% will be unionized form.
9) In a patient weighting 70 kg, VOD of lidocaine is 80 L and clearance is 28L/ hr. What is
the elimination half life of lidocaine?
Ans. Elimination t1/2= 0.693 X Vd/ Cl
= 0.693X80 / 28 = 1.98 i.e apprro 2 hrs
10) How many grams of Dextrose is present in a 500cc D5W solution?
Ans. 500 cc of D5W (dextrose 5%) solution contains 500 x 5/100
= 25 gram of dextrose