How to convert drams to teaspoons?

Nursing Students Student Assist

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It's not on google or in my school book. I know this is a trick question..

Am I the only one that has never heard of a dram?

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no trust me .. youre not the only one. lol apothecary system lol drives me mad lol

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
Ugh, can anyone justify why the apothecary system is still taught at all? The only class I can see it being useful in is history. It reminds me of Harry Potter's potions class.

Yikes, I was taught and we used the apothecary system 35 years ago, but I taught in a BSN program for 9.5 years and no we don't use it anymore just like we no longer use the latin abbreviations when writing prescriptions. The last medication that was in grains a few years ago was thyroid med and now I can't even remember the grains, it is now micrograms

They can still teach critical thinking and correct calculations without confusing you with this ancient method.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
Yikes, I was taught and we used the apothecary system 35 years ago, but I taught in a BSN program for 9.5 years and no we don't use it anymore just like we no longer use the latin abbreviations when writing prescriptions. The last medication that was in grains a few years ago was thyroid med and now I can't even remember the grains, it is now micrograms

They can still teach critical thinking and correct calculations without confusing you with this ancient method.

Oh , to be young again!!! I remember not too terrribly long ago that tylenol and aspirin were written as gr X. There was also a suppository, 'something gr 7 1/2(in roman numerals also with the ss)??? and we still use gtt for drops.
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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Wasn't that B&O suppositories?

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Specializes in IMCU.

It just kills me that anyone not drinking a dram of whiskey cares...

Has anyone come across a dram, in practice, in recent history? By all means learn how to do conversions and get comfortable with them.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

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A dram of whiskey? I'd need far more than that to understand the apothecary system.

I looked at it as: 8 drams in an ounce. 2 Tablespoons to an ounce. And 3 teaspoons per Tablespoon.

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But remember that apothecary is not exact. That's what makes me batty about it. Can't we all just use metric?

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

I said the earlier in the post........#13 and #14.

The only tricky part is the use of the apothecary system as this really is not used in the US any longer. I have been a nurse for 34 years and the only place I have seen the apothecary system in on a test and in school. but like any problem...know your conversions google them, because I had forgotten the conversions and I googled them.

how to convert drams to teaspoons for nurses....http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+convert+...ons+for+nurses]

1 dram (fl dr) = 60 minims

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 60 drops (gtt)

1 minim = 1 drop (gt)

There are certain essential parts to every equation.......

Desired dose: ?tsp

Concentration: 1dr/60minims

Volume on hand: 6dr

lb to kg: n/a

What you are looking for: tsp

administration set up: n/a

any conversions necessary? yes

If you have 6dr and 1 dr equals 60 minims and 1 minim equals 1 gtt(drop) and there are 60ggts to 1tsp.......what is the answer?

1. determine what you want to know. read the problem and identify what you're being asked to figure out.

example: "how many teaspoons are in 6 drams"

a. rephrase if necessary using "per." example: you want to know "milligrams per liter."

b. translate into "math terms" using appropriate abbreviations to end up with "arms/tsp" as your answer

2. determine what you already know.

a. what are you given by the problem. "you know that you have 6 (six) drams (dr)

• rephrase if necessary. "i have six drams how many teaspoons do i need to equal 6drams

• translate into math terms using abbreviations

example: 6dr = ? tsp

— if a given is in the form mg/kg/day, rewrite as mg/kg x day.

— if a percentage is given, e.g. 25%, rewrite as 25/100 with appropriate labels.

b. determine conversion factors that may be needed and write them in a form you can use.

example: 1 dram (fl dr) = 60 minims

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 60 drops (gtt)

1 drop (gt) = 1 minim

• factors known from memory:

• factors from a conversion table:

(d/a)x q=x

where,

d= dose ordered

a=available strength

q=quantity of medication that has that strength

desired dose x on hand

quantity/concentration = to be given

If you have 6dr and 1 dr equals 60 minims and 1 minim equals 1gtt(drop) and there are 60ggts to 1tsp.......what is the answer?

I think the nursing schools still do this to make you critically think how to solve the problem of ever doing this before.....post #14 on this thread will give you an extensive conversion table.

dosagehelp.com - helping nursing students learn dosage calculations - dosage question steps]

drug dose calculations - dave'sems]

http://www.alysion.org/dimensional/critique.htm]

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