Dosage Calc Exam

[kellieg2209, ADN, RN]

I have been accepted to CCAC South Evening program starting Fall 2014. I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips in studying for the first dosage calc exam. I was told that this is given the first week or so of classes. I have never done dosage calculations before and am really nervous about this. Thanks for any help

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Here is a great website. Nursing calculations are all about finding X.

[h=3]DosageHelp.com - Helping Nursing Students Learn Dosage ...[/h]

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Don't know what CCAC is, but you have, in fact, done these sorts of problems before. You did them in intro algebra in high school, which was probably a prerequisite for admission into nursing. There's a reason for that! In algebra, you solved for X, or Y, or something. The problems are the same, except the words are different -- you'll solve for other terms, but the numbers will work exactly the same.

For example, if I say,

If 5b = 350

and ab = 140

What's a?

You should be able to say,

If 5b = 350,

then b = 70

If ab = 140

Then a = 2

Right?

Now, let's see what that will look like on your med math test:

"You have to give 140mg of Supercillin. It comes in a vial labeled 350mg in 5 cc. How many cc do you draw up?" This is the exact same question, in words.

See, is that so hard?

[kellieg2209, ADN, RN]

Thanks for the tips. I think I just need to figure out where to put what info in the equation

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

There is also a slightly intuitive component to where you plug in the info. The "what I have" to "what was ordered" has a logical component to it. If you only have 30 mg on hand of an ordered tablet, but the order calls for 90 mg, it's clear you aren't going to have an answer that is less than one tablet -- it's going to be more, or 3 tabs in this instance. On the other hand, if you have 60 mg on hand but the order is for 30 mg, you're going to have an answer that is less than one (or 1/2 tablet). That makes sense, no?

Also, you're going to need to get a good handle on your conversions! The dosage help site listed above is an excellent tool to start practicing. The more you practice, the more you'll begin internalizing the rationale and you can feel secure about your answers. You will likely be expected to know your conversions (i.e. how many ml in a fl oz?). Good luck!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Here is another site...Daves Drug calculations made easy

You have drug on hand, dose desired, then what you need to give. Know your conversion factors.

1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)

1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)

1 microgram (mcg) = .001 milligram (mg)

1 milligram = 1000 microgram (mcg)

1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (ml)

1 milliliter (ml) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)

1 meter = 100 centimeters (cm)

1 meter = 1000 millimeters (mm)

1 cubic centimeter (cc) = 1 milliliter (ml)

1 teaspoon = 5 cubic centimeter (cc) = 5 milliliters (ml)

1 tablespoon = 15 cubic centimeter (cc) = 15 milliliters (ml)

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoon

1 ounce = 30 cc = 30 ml = 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons

8 ounces = 240 cc = 240 ml = 1 cup

1 milliliter (ml) = 15 minims (M) = 15 drops (gtt)

5 milliliters (ml) = 1 fluidram = 1 teaspoon

15 milliliters (ml) = 4 fluidrams = 1 tablespoon

30 milliliters (ml) = 1 ounce (oz) = 2 tablespoons

500 milliliters (ml) = 1 pint (pt)

1000 milliliters (ml) = 1 quart (qt)

[h=4]Weight[/h]

1 kilogram = 2.2 pound (lb)

1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams = 15 grains (gr)

[h=4]Length[/h]

2.5 centimeters = 1 inch

[h=4]Centigrade/Fahrenheit Conversions[/h]

C = (F - 32) X 5/9

F = (C X 9/5) + 32