Med Math Help!

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I JUST NEED help figuring out how the MCG works. i keep forgetting. is it multiplying it by 1000?? or dividing..? gosh math makes me nuts. can someone please help! thanks soo much love you guys!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

1 MCG means 1 microgram.

There are 1,000,000 micrograms per gram

There are 1,000 micrograms per milligram

There are 0.001 milligrams per microgram

There are 0.000001 grams per microgram

So, to convert micrograms to milligrams, divide the number of micrograms by 1,000 (or multiply it by 0.001...same thing)

___ mcg x (1 mg / 1000 mcg) = .001 x ____ mg

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
I JUST NEED help figuring out how the MCG works. i keep forgetting. is it multiplying it by 1000?? or dividing..? gosh math makes me nuts. can someone please help! thanks soo much love you guys!

what are you converting it to?? im guessing milligrams so heres an easy way to remember when converting milligrams to micrograms or vise versa...

1 milligram=1000 micrograms

so when converting between mcg and mg, move the decimal point three places.

for example, convert 100mg to mcg.

100mg...move the decimal pt forward 3 places... and you get 100,000 mcg

and to convert mcg to mg, move the decimal pt back 3 places.

500mcg... move the decimal pt back 3 places.. and you get 0.5mg

does that help a little??

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what are you converting it to?? im guessing milligrams so heres an easy way to remember when converting milligrams to micrograms or vise versa...

1 milligram=1000 micrograms

so when converting between mcg and mg, move the decimal point three places.

for example, convert 100mg to mcg.

100mg...move the decimal pt forward 3 places... and you get 100,000 mcg

and to convert mcg to mg, move the decimal pt back 3 places.

500mcg... move the decimal pt back 3 places.. and you get 0.5mg

does that help a little??

I second the moving decimal point method, worked fine for me.

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a way that works for me to to use the Porportion method.

1 milligram = 1000 micrograms

set up a porportion.

If 1mg = 1000mcg, then how many does 30 mg equals?

1mg=1000mcg

30mg= X

cross multiply. Then you have 1mgX= 30000. Then divide it by 1 and you get 30000. So 30mg is 30000mcg.

Or more simpler, if you have the number of mg multiply it by 1000.

if you have the number of mcg, divide it by 1000 to get the number of mg.

Hope this helps. :):):):nurse:

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
i just need help figuring out how the mcg works. i keep forgetting. is it multiplying it by 1000?? or dividing..? gosh math makes me nuts. can someone please help! thanks soo much love you guys!

my advice is to buy a dosage calculation book. the book will give you tons of practice problems and when you do it so many times, i dont think you will forget it so easily.

mind you, i am great in math. i took algebra, geometry, trig, physics i & ii, statistics, calculus i, ii, iii for my computer science degree and when my teacher gave us a surprise dosage and iv calculations last semester, i went blank and was so embarassed. now, everytime my teachers give us dosage and iv calculations, i am usually the first one to finish. please consider investing on a med math book. you can get a used one online for less than 10 bucks.

and for my mg to mcg conversion, i just move the decimal three places to the right to get the mcg.

for example,

0.50 mg = 500. mcg

and vice versa. you move the decimal three places to the left to get the mg.

500. mcg = 0.50 mg

good luck,

angel ;)

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Try to remember the prefixes

Kilo-Hecto-Deca-[unit]-Deci-Centi-Milli

=1 Kilometer, 10 hectometers, 100 dekameters, 1000 meters

=10,000 decimeters, 100,000 centimeters, 1,000,000 millimeters.

You can remember the order of prefixes with this mnemonic

King Henry Doesn't (Usually) Drink Chocolate Milk.

You move from one prefix to the next by moving the decimal point.

ex.

Convert 12.54 kilometers to centimeters

If you look above, starting at kilo, there are 5 spaces between kilo and centi. Kilo to centi goes from left to right...so move your decimal to the right.

Answer:

1254000 cm

If you are converting Milli to hecto...you'd move the decimal from right to left.

Ex.

Convert 457 mL to hL

You are going to move the decimal 5 spaces left.

Answer:

0.00457 hL

Hope this was helpful

Cardigan2

1 MCG means 1 microgram.

There are 1,000,000 micrograms per gram

There are 1,000 micrograms per milligram

There are 0.001 milligrams per microgram

There are 0.000001 grams per microgram

So, to convert micrograms to milligrams, divide the number of micrograms by 1,000 (or multiply it by 0.001...same thing)

___ mcg x (1 mg / 1000 mcg) = .001 x ____ mg

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

there are weblinks to conversion charts that you can access and probably download and print out on post #3 of this thread on allnurses which will clear this up for you. copy one of the charts, or make your own to carry around with you.

the index of taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary also contains several pages of conversion equivalents.

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