need help on medical dosage calculations

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Hi, can any one help me solve these? I think I'm wrong on some and rite on others and need someone to proof me. Our professor cant review all the practice questions with us and our exam is Tues. I am so nervous and a nervous test taker, I have an A so far, and I dont want to ruin the final. I Need some reassurance. Please help! Thanks Jill:icon_roll

#1. order patient to receive 8mg/m2 IM, patient BSA is 1.6m2. vial states 80mg/10ml how many ml will you give? Answer I got is 16ml. (I think I'm rite.)

#2. order 0.75mg of the drug, ampoule states 1:1000, how many ml will equal this dose?

Answer ( I think I'm wrong.) do I turn 0.75mg into grams and then multiply by 1ml over 1000g? this would be .00075ml seems wrong .

#3 order drug 0.5g, label is 300mg/2ml. how many ml will patient recieve?Answer (I think I'm rite, but seems too easy) 3.33ml

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

1. You're close, but I think you multiplied wrong at the end. You're giving 8mg per m2. The patient is 1.6m2. So your dose is 8 x 1.6 = 12.8 mg. You have a supply of 80mg / 10mL. Try doing the formula again and see what you come up with this time.

Double check yourself by reversing the math. If you give 16 mL that that would be 80 mg x 1.6 = a dose of 128 mg. Does that make sense if the order is for 8mg/m2 and your patient is 1.6 m2? Also, think about it clinically- your medication is supposed to be administered IM. Does 16 mL seem like a correct dose for an IM injection?

2. You're over thinking it. If you have an ampule that is 1:1000, that means the concentration is 1 gram per 1,000 mL. 1 gram is equal to 1,000 mg. So you have a concentration of 1,000 mg in 1,000 mL. What does that break down to? 1mg/mL.

You need to give 0.75 mg. If your medication comes in 1mg/mL, how many mLs do you need for 0.75 mg?

3. You are right on this one. Good job.

Hi Ashley, thanks for your time, I really appreciate it. I love your dogs picts.! I am a dog groomer for 20 years now and in my experience, all animal lovers are good people!(which you proved me rite, here you are helping people solve equations!) If you ever have a dog question, I will love to return the favor!

ok is #1 answer 1.6? i think i divided the 128 by 8 instead of 80. im tired.

is #2 answer .75 ml?

I hope I got them rite. Jill the groomer ( and future nurse!)

Hi Ashley, thanks for your time, I really appreciate it. I love your dogs picts.! I am a dog groomer for 20 years now and in my experience, all animal lovers are good people!(which you proved me rite, here you are helping people solve equations!) If you ever have a dog question, I will love to return the favor!

ok is #1 answer 1.6? i think i divided the 128 by 8 instead of 80. im tired.

is #2 answer .75 ml?

I hope I got them rite. Jill the groomer ( and future nurse!)

,,,,,,
Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Perfect! Good job! Thanks for the compliment about my puppies. I think they are pretty special. :-) Best of luck in school!

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

i really hate to do this, because i know we are supposed to be unconditionally loving, or something like that, and somebody will slam me for being the language police, but would you please write "right" if you mean "correct"? if you don't, when you get to nursing school you will be marked down for it, and it makes it hard to read.

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