calculating medications

[patty pear]

There are times when i think i have conquered calculating medications, then the simplest problem gets to me. for example, the doctor ordered for the pt. to have 2cc of baralgin in each liter of fluid but the ampule is 2.5g/5mls. sometimes takes a few minutes to figure out. please help.

[Christie RN2006]

There are times when i think i have conquered calculating medications, then the simplest problem gets to me. for example, the doctor ordered for the pt. to have 2cc of baralgin in each liter of fluid but the ampule is 2.5g/5mls. sometimes takes a few minutes to figure out. please help.

so was the patient supposed to get 2mg or 2ml?

[loricatus]

if you are asking how many mg are in that 2cc (2mL), just use the cross multiplication method

2.5 mg Xmg

______ X _____ =

5cc 2 cc

2.5 x 2 = 5.0

5x = 5.0

x= 1.0 mg

[Soup Turtle]

We're being taught not to accept orders for "2cc" or "1 tablet"...it needs to say how much of the actual DRUG the patient is to receive. I would be confused, too.

[nyapa, RN]

We're being taught not to accept orders for "2cc" or "1 tablet"...it needs to say how much of the actual DRUG the patient is to receive. I would be confused, too.

That is a bad order. I concur with TurtleSoup.

but there is an easy way to remember:

what you want x amount of mg

what you've got

thus you have:

2mL x 2.5g

5ml

ie: 0.4 x 2.5g = 1g

[angel Ann]

There are times when i think i have conquered calculating medications, then the simplest problem gets to me. for example, the doctor ordered for the pt. to have 2cc of baralgin in each liter of fluid but the ampule is 2.5g/5mls. sometimes takes a few minutes to figure out. please help.

You need to also clarify the dose ordered by gm.But if he really meant 2cc or 2ml then the desired dose would be 1gm

convert 2.5 gm in mg = 2500 mg

2500 mg / 5 ml = 500

500 mg in 1 ml

therefore 2 cc will give you 1g of drug added to 1 liter of fluid.But then again,you have to clarify the order before u mix it.