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Discussion

Math help

I am practicing for my med calc test that is next tues. I am AWFUL at it. Right now, we are just doing the dose desired/dose on hand X Q I get the easy ones and know how to convert mg to g and that if needed ... but I cam across this one and not sure where to go with it...

Aluminum hydroxide 15cc is ordered qid.

Pharm sends a bottle lableled 320mg per 5 ml.

How many mg is the pt getting with each 15 ml?

I am not seeing it. Thanks!!

Featured Replies

  • Guides

Tell us how you would set it up and we can help you from there.

Would it be 960mg? ??

In 5ml theres 320mg

The order is 15ml

5x3=15ml

320x3=960mg

960mg

Pls Correct me if im wrong.anybody?

I also need to master this calculations:)

  • Expert

These sites will help you tremendously.

DosageHelp.com - Helping Nursing Students Learn Dosage Calculations - Dosage Question Steps

http://www.davesems.com/files/drug_dose_calculations.pdf

aluminum hydroxide 15cc is ordered qid

pharm sends a bottle lableled 320mg per 5 ml

how many mg is the pt getting with each 15 ml

First KNOW your conversions..........

There are questions you need to answer for every problem

Desired dose

Concentration

Volume on hand

Any conversions: Lbs/Kg, grams/mg, mg/mcg

looking for:

administration set up:

Desired dose: 15cc

Concentration: 320mg/5cc

Volume on hand: N/A

Any conversions: 1cc=1ml

looking for: ?mg per 15ml

administration set up: N/A

320mg X 1cc

5cc ?mg = so you have _____mg per cc

If you have _____mg per cc how many mg's are there in 15cc

____mg X 15cc = mg/15ml

1cc

  • Author

Would it be 960mg? ??

In 5ml theres 320mg

The order is 15ml

5x3=15ml

320x3=960mg

960mg i can see it this way better.....

Concentration: 320mg/5cc

Volume on hand: N/A

Any conversions: 1cc=1ml

looking for: ?mg per 15ml

administration set up: N/A

320mg X 1cc

5cc ?mg = so you have __64___mg per cc

If you have __64___mg per cc how many mg's are there in 15cc 960...this way confuses me

oh boy...i dont like this...what am i going to do....i am LOST

Since the ordered dose is 15 mL or 15cc and what you have on hand is 320mg/5ml, in order to figure out how many mg are in 15 ml you need to multiply the 320mg by 3 to get your answer. You would multiply by 3 because since you have to multiply the 5mL by 3 to get 15mL you also need to do the same for the mg.

Ie:

320mg/5ml

15ml/5ml = 3 ml; multiply 320mg x 3 = 960mg in 15 ml.

  • Expert
Would it be 960mg? ??

In 5ml theres 320mg

The order is 15ml

5x3=15ml

320x3=960mg

960mg i can see it this way better.....

Concentration: 320mg/5cc

Volume on hand: N/A

Any conversions: 1cc=1ml

looking for: ?mg per 15ml

administration set up: N/A

320mg X 1cc

5cc ?mg = so you have __64___mg per cc

If you have __64___mg per cc how many mg's are there in 15cc 960...this way confuses me

oh boy...i dont like this...what am i going to do....i am LOST

That's ok .........then don't use it....it's dimensional analysis (algebra). I just broke it down to how many mg are there in 1cc. So if you have 64mg in 1cc and you have 15cc's you multiply 64 X 15 = 960.

Try both of these sites.....DosageHelp.com - Helping Nursing Students Learn Dosage Calculations - Dosage Question Steps

http://www.davesems.com/files/drug_d...lculations.pdf

  • Author

esme12...thank you for the websites...i was up til 11 practicing last night. math is very hard for me,i cant see what other people are seeing. my husband is a math wizard and he helps me "see" the problem better.

i will let you know how my first calculations test goes....every semester we have one...the first we need to pass with an 85 or better,then 90,95 and 100% in the 4th semester...we do get three tries but i would like to get it on the first and breathe a sigh of relief!!

thanks again!!

  • Expert

good Luck!!!!! I'm sending positive vibes!

  • Expert

Know your conversions

The Short List 1 cup © = 8 ounces (oz)

1 dram (dr) = 60 grains (gr)

1 dram (fl dr) = 60 minims

1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts (qt)

1 glass = 8 ounces (oz)

1 grain (gr) = 64.8 milligrams (mg)

1 gram (g) = 15.43 grains (gr)

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lb)

1 liter (L) = 1.057 quarts (qt)

1 milliliter (mL) = 16.23 minims

1 minim = 1 drop (gt)

1 ounce (oz) = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

1 ounce (oz) = 8 drams (dr)

1 ounce (fl oz) = 29.57 milliliters (mL)

1 pint (pt) = 16 ounces (oz)

1 pound (lb) = 16 ounces (oz)

1 quart (qt) = 0.946 liters (L)

1 quart (qt) = 2 pints (pt)

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)

1 teacup = 6 ounces (oz)

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 4.93 mL

The Long list

1 central = 45,359 grams (g)

1 centimeter (cm) = 10 millimeters (mm)

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

1 cup © = 8 ounces (oz)

1 drachm = 3.55 milliliter (mL)

1 dram (dr) = 60 grains (gr)

1 dram (fl dr) = 60 minims

1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts (qt)

1 gill = 4 ounces (oz)

1 glass = 8 ounces (oz)

1 grain (gr) = 64.8 milligrams (mg)

1 gram (g) = 1,000 milligrams (mg)

1 gram (g) = 1,000,000 micrograms (mcg)

1 gram (g) = 15.43 grains (gr)

1 hand = 4 inches (in)

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

1 kilogram (kg) = 1,000 grams (g)

1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lb)

1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (mL)

1 liter (L) = 1.057 quarts (qt)

1 meter (m) = 1,000 millimeters (mm)

1 meter (m) = 100 centimeters (cm)

1 milligram (mg) = 1,000 micrograms (mcg)

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

1 milliliter (mL) = 15 drops (gt)

1 milliliter (mL) = 16.23 minims

1 minim = 1 drop (gt)

1 ounce (fl oz) = 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

1 ounce (oz) = 20 pennyweights (dwt)

1 ounce (oz) = 24 scruples

1 ounce (oz) = 31.1 grams (g)

1 ounce (oz) = 480 grains (gr)

1 ounce (oz) = 8 drams (dr)

1 ounce, fluid (fl oz) = 29.57 milliliters (mL)

1 palm = 3 inches (in)

1 pennyweight (dwt) = 24 grains (gr)

1 pint (pt) = 16 ounces (oz)

1 pint (pt) = 4 gills

1 pound (lb) = 16 ounces (oz)

1 pound (lb) = 350 scruples

1 quart (qt) = 0.946 liters (L)

1 quart (qt) = 2 pints (pt)

1 scruple = 20 grains (gr)

1 stone = 0.14 cents

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)

1 teacup = 6 ounces (oz)

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 60 drops (gtt)

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 4.93 mL

  • Expert

Check out this thread....https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/med-math-examples-786141.html

i am practicing for my med calc test that is next tues...i am AWFUL at it....right now we are just doing the dose desired/dose on hand X Q I get the esay ones and know how to convert mg t0 g and that if needed..but i cam across this one and know sure where to go with it...

aluminum hydroxide 15cc is ordered qid

pharm sends a bottle lableled 320mg per 5 ml

how many mg is the pt getting with each 15 ml

i am not seeing it

thanks!!

So everyone got their own style... You just got to get yours with math...

320/5ml (amount in hand)

Need to know mg amount of 15 ml

320. _x

5ml. 15x. = cross multiply the total will be 320 x15 = 4800. 5mlx

5 mlx. 5 mlx= at this point divide 480/5= 960 x

The 5mlx eliminate each other leaving just the variable

Your mg need it is 960/15

The wonderful (but also awful) thing about math is that there is often more than one way to look at a problem and solve it. Your way worked and is logical, but I prefer to think of things Esme's way. Choose whichever one works best for you and stick with it.

With Esme's way, always find how many mg are in just one mL. For example,

Your given dose is 320mg/5mL. What you're looking for is (x)mg/1mL. Algebraically, it'll look like this:

320/5 = x/1

Of course, dividing anything by 1 means it's just a whole number (i.e. 5/1 = 5; the value is unchanged), therefore we can ignore the 1. As a result, your calculation will look like this:

320/5 = x

So, divide 320 by 5...

64 = x

Now we know that there are 64mg in each mL. Then, think of it like this: there are 64mg in each mL. You are giving 15 mL, 64mg multiplied by the 15 mL you are giving = 64 * 15 = 960.

If you're curious, though, the mathematical way of doing it is like this:

The order is to give 15 mL. There are 64mg/mL. The question is looking for how many mg in 15 mL, or (x)mg/15mL.

(x)mg/15mL = 64mg/mL

To make it easier to "see" the math, let's take away the mg and mL...

x/15 = 64

Isolate (x). Because (x) is being divided by 15, to cancel it out, we do the opposite (in this case, multiply) by the same number, and as always, what we do to one side, we do to the other. As a result, multiply both sides by 15.

x= 64*15

x = 960

Therefore, there are 960mg in 15 mL.

This looks very long and difficult, but only because I'm outlining each and every step of the process. Once you get practice, you can skip a lot of the little thoughts I have here, and go straight to whatever you need to do mathematically. For me, I already know I can go ahead with 320/5, then multiply by 15 without having to think of any of the other things.

Let's do another example with completely random numbers and a completely different problem, but with the same algebraic concept.

Say you get an oral solution from pharmacy labeled 530mg/5mL.

The order says to give 371mg.

So, how many mL do we need?

Therefore, the value we are looking for is (x)mL.

As before, we find out how many mg are in each mL, or 1mL, therefore, we are looking for (x)mg/mL.

(x)mg/mL = 530mg/5mL --> x = 530/5

x = 106

Therefore, there are 106mg/mL

We need to give 371mg, but how many mL does it take to get that?

This can be represented as 371mg/(y)mL, where we solve for (y). We know that 106mg/mL. As before, I'm going to leave out the mg and mL to make the numbers clearer.

371/y = 106

Isolate (y). To do this, we get rid of the fraction, so we multiply both sides by (y)

371 = 106 * y

Further isolate (y), so divide both sides by 106.

371/106 = y

3.5 = y

Therefore, you need 3.5mL.

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