Dosage Calculation Assistance

Students Student Assist

Updated:   Published

Hello! I am doing a dosage calculation packet that we are supposed to do before our next semester at school starts. I just want to see if I am doing this problem correctly. Hopefully you guys can help!

The physician orders ceftazidime (Tazicef) 0.5 grams IV piggyback every 12 hours.

The label reads 1 gram.

Directions for reconstitution: Reconstitute medication in vial with 10 mL sterile water. Add correct amount of reconstituted medication to 50 mL mini-bag of D5W before administering over 30 minutes.

a) What is the concentration of the mini-bag after properly mixed?

b) At what rate in mL/hr should the nurse set the pump?

So here's my calculations:

Order: 0.5 grams

Available: 1 g

Reconstitute med in vial with 10 mL sterile water. Add correct amount of reconstituted med to 50 mL mini-bag of D5W

854179402_DosageCalculation1.jpg.056079cfc7e5da6a1ecefc557faf56ba.jpg

So draw up 5 mL of reconstituted medication from the vial

Then you add 5 mL of reconstituted med to the 50 mL mini-bag = 55 mL

So the concentration of the mini-bag after being properly mixed would be 0.5 g/55 mL?

For the mL/hr calculation, I am not sure if I use the 55 mL or the original 10 mL? I think that since the medication is mixed in the mini-bag, I would hang the mini-bag and that is what I should base the volume on. So:

1945901370_DosageCalculation2.jpg.716e9755ce5eeb6036a9255a8f7d8c14.jpg

Any input would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!!

smf0903

845 Posts

You did great! :up:

JustBeachyNurse, LPN

13,952 Posts

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Excellent! Thanks for showing your work. Impressive you manipulated such clear graphics.

But yes you are thinking the right way. And didn't let any of the extra info distract you. Kudos!

Thank you for your comments! The graphics...I couldn't figure out how to put the fractions in. So I did it in a word document using the "insert equation: and tried to copy and paste it, but that didn't work. So I saved the equation as an image. But then it saved the whole word document as a little image! LoL! So then I edited the image, cropped out the extra word document stuff so just the equation was left. It sounds like a lot but only took a few minutes, but was definitely frustrating!

Again, thank you very much for checking my work!

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