Dosage Calculation

[sb082001]

Hello everyone I am taking a pharmacology class for college and I was wondering if anyone could help me with these questions? I'm having trouble solving them it is due soon. 

1. Order:  Administer 500 mg of vancomycin IV piggy back in 60 minutes q12 hours.  The medication is available in 100 mL of NS. How many mL/hour will be given? 

2. The Order: give PenG 400,000 units IM bid.  The PenG is available as 250,000 U/mL. How many mL will be given each dose?

3. Order:  Give 500mg of Keflex po q6 hr. Available: 250 mg tablets.  How many tablets will the patient receive in a 24-hour period? 

4.Order: Give Naprosyn suspension 0.275 g po.  Available: Naprosyn 125mg/5 mL. How many mL will be given? 

[sb082001]

Also im studying to become an RN nurse ?

[Wuzzie]

Show us what you have so far and we’ll help you work it out. 

[LovingLife123]

These are pretty basic.  What work have you done?  Maybe you can show us your answers then we can point you in the right direction. 

[sb082001]

10 hours ago, LovingLife123 said:

These are pretty basic.  What work have you done?  Maybe you can show us your answers then we can point you in the right direction. 

for #4 I got the answer 0.275g, my mom tried to help me with that one but she didn't write down the work for it or she didn't understand either so she just wrote it down?  whenever she handed to paper to me and also cause her teacher sent her that answer (we take the same class but different teacher) , and for the others we didn't get any work done math isn't our best subject.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Where do you think you need to start?

What do you have and what do you need your end result to be for each question?

We have moved your post to the Student Assistance forum for best results. I recommend browsing through the student forums as there are many resources for dosage calculations available. 

[chare]

You might find some of the resources posted in this thread helpful.

 

[amoLucia]

Welcome to AN. I would recommend that you change your screen name to something anonymous. Everybody & anybody (incl teachers from your school) read these posts. It's like you're announcing to your school that you go to other folk to do your work. 

[londonflo]

I also wanted to ask what resources you have. Book?  The ATI program?. A formula from a Chemistry class?.  What is the method you have been recommended to use:

1) dimensional analysis

2) desired over on hand times the vehicle

3) ratio and proportion. 

Here's the deal,,,,you need to choose your method or let the school choose it and ONLY use THAT method. Bouncing off the methods others do and then trying another method will just land you in a muddle.

YOUR SCHOOL should have some kind of educational resource to help you do this. Looking at other places on Google, AN or You tube, if these resources do not support any assistance you have, will create havoc and maybe failure in your ability to solve these problems....and you gave us some pretty simple problems.

Does your school have a student success lab? Check out the resources you may already have at your school and if you think (oh no I work full time) rethink the value  with this resource helping you with all your school needs. Your questions about dose calculation already show you are a new student and may be struggling. Please find ONE dependable source to help....if it is your mother great! but bouncing from each RN to LPN to RN to LNP will just mix you up.

40 years ago, I first said if I could develop a perfect way to teach dose calculation for every nursing student, I would become a millionaire! 

Most schools now require an annual dose calculation test to make sure students retain the knowledge....and many employers administer tests to new hires.

[amoLucia]

londonflo - I'm old school; had a terrible time way back when trying to grasp that dimensional analysis stuff in nsg pharm and Chemistry. I muddled thru but give me plain old simple ratio & proportions & P/H and I'm a content clam.

For OP, please know pharm math is critical. Fractions, decimals, metrics, old measurements etc are so fundamental to safe practice. If your math skills are that shaky, best to consider getting some REGULAR tutoring NOW. And your Mom may benefit from the help also. Those test question samples were VERY simple. Start with tutoring NOW before the semester sneaks up on you and you might be sinking. And just know, the math gets tougher as school progresses.

[Wuzzie]

9 hours ago, amoLucia said:

For OP, please know pharm math is critical. Fractions, decimals, metrics, old measurements etc are so fundamental to safe practice. If your math skills are that shaky, best to consider getting some REGULAR tutoring NOW. And your Mom may benefit from the help also. Those test question samples were VERY simple. Start with tutoring NOW before the semester sneaks up on you and you might be sinking. And just know, the math gets tougher as school progresses.

This^ and, as you have found out, we aren't going to do your work for you. You'll never, ever grasp the concept if we did. 

[londonflo]

16 hours ago, amoLucia said:

I'm old school; had a terrible time way back when trying to grasp that dimensional analysis stuff in nsg pharm and Chemistry. I muddled thru but give me plain old simple ratio & proportions & P/H and I'm a content clam.

amoLucia,

I went to school before the push for dimensional analysis. Recently I really tried to understand it but just couldn't do it consistently.  I too, am old school and use D/H x's vehicle.