dosage calculation

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I found this dosage problem on a math site.atropine 0.4 IM stat. is the order have is atropine 400 mcg/ml give ? how many ml. I want to say 2 ml but I am sure I am wrong can someone help me with this I want to get this down pat thank you

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0.4?

Mg?

Mcg?

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Specializes in NICU.

assuming ".4 IM STAT" is .4 mg IM STAT. 1000 mcg= 1 mg. .4*1000= 400 mcg. 400mcg/ml. The answer is 1 mL

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Why don't you show us what you have so far. Doing so will better allow us to help you.

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so sorry 0.4 mg

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that is what I kinda thought too.that was my first answer thankful to you all

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i got 0.001 I got cha thank you

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Specializes in Pedi.
i got 0.001 I got cha thank you

You got that answer because you didn't convert your units. 0.4 mg IS 400 mcg. There actually was no real math involved in this question, just knowing your conversions.

ETA: also keep in mind that when you get crazy answers like that they are probably wrong. You cannot draw up 0.001 mL- I have never seen a syringe that measures out to the thousandths place. So when you get an answer like that or, conversely, one that says you should give 1,000 mL IM, you should look back to see if you can find an error.

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I knew to times bye a thousand I was over thinking it lol. I could have just divided 0.4 bye 400

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ahhh ok I understand I do know conversions I just was over thinking as usual lol

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.
ahhh ok I understand I do know conversions I just was over thinking as usual lol

Yeah you need to study and memorize the most used for sure. 1 gm =1000mg

1mg = 1000mcg

So 0.4mg = 400 mcg

0.4x1000 = 400

You should start recognizing these when you see them enough.

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I knew to times bye a thousand I was over thinking it lol. I could have just divided 0.4 bye 400

No, not that either. This was not a calculation question at all. It was, as KelRN215 points out, a question to find out whether you know your conversions. I am not sure by this answer that you do, as you have no division to do to answer this question.

Overthinking gets people into a lot of trouble-- in nursing you have to be able to see the question being asked or the situation being considered, so try to do that first before jumping into interventions, whether they are things to do to/at/for a patient or plugging numbers into a formula just because you have some.

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