Dosage calculation rounding pediatrics

chare · Jun 10, 2018

Once again, it will depend on the syringe that you are using. Most 5 or 6 mL oral syringes are graduated in either 0.1 or 0.2 mL increments. Whether you round your calculated dose of 3.347 mL to 3.3 mL or 3.35 mL is going to depend on which syringe you use.

Jamesryan · Jun 11, 2018

I'm just asking because I'm still confused on the rules. I would assume it's difficult to draw up 3.347 ml so I would just round that amount to 3.3ml but I'm not sure if it need to be rounded to the hundredth ml for a pediatric patient?

chare · Jun 11, 2018

Your ability to accurately round is limited to the graduations of the device you are using. If you're using a syringe graduated in 0.2 mL increments, you can accurately draw up a volume rounded to the closest 0.2 mL, and, and very closely approximate a volume to the closest 0.1 mL. Likewise, if you're using a syringe graduated in 0.1 mL increments, you can accurately draw up a volume rounded to the closest 0.1 mL, and, and very closely approximate a volume to the closest 0.05 mL.

I'm curious, which rules are you referring to?

Jamesryan · Jun 11, 2018

I'm referring to a rule I've read in my text that says volumes for liquid medication less than 1 ml round nearest hundredth ml and volume greater than 1 ml round to nearest tenth ml. I just wanted to know if it applies to the pediatric population

MunoRN, RN · Jun 11, 2018

The "rules" you're asking about do exist, they are called "significant digits", all calculations should done based on this mathematical rule, the final measurement would be based on how accurately the final calculation can be reliably measured.

This doesn't mean that all nursing school instructors will consider this to be the correct answer, which is because technically speaking many of them are ignoramus's when it comes to mathematical principles.