Pharmacology Question!

Alternator81 · Oct 10, 2008

I started school last wednesday, and have pharm. class, only on mondays. So right now, I'm kinda drawing a blank!!
The instructor showed us one way to do this & a girl in our class showed us an easier way.. and I can't remember either one!
Our 1st assignment question is...
Give Heparin 5000 units sc q12 hours. Available is heparin 10,000 units/ml/ How many ml's will be given at each dose?
Yea, I know, how simple! But can anyone show me how they do these? Thank you so much!

I set it up like a ratio..

10,000u/1ml = 5,000u/ x ml.

so... 5000u x 1ml / 10,000u = x ml

x = 0.5

RNnTrainin' · Oct 10, 2008

I started school last wednesday, and have pharm. class, only on mondays. So right now, I'm kinda drawing a blank!!
The instructor showed us one way to do this & a girl in our class showed us an easier way.. and I can't remember either one!
Our 1st assignment question is...
Give Heparin 5000 units sc q12 hours. Available is heparin 10,000 units/ml/ How many ml's will be given at each dose?
Yea, I know, how simple! But can anyone show me how they do these? Thank you so much!

I do mine like this......

5000 = 0.5 x 1mL = 0.5 ml

10000

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2008

see the weblinks which include tutorials on how to do drug calculation problems on post #6 of this sticky thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/nursing-math-thread-264395.html - the nursing math thread

justme1972 · Oct 11, 2008

I do mine like this......
5000 = 0.5 x 1mL = 0.5 ml
10000

This is also how I do mine. I always, always, no matter what med calculation, start with the order.

life_student · Oct 11, 2008

give heparin 5000 units sc q12 hours. available is heparin 10,000 units/ml/ how many ml's will be given at each dose?

can someone tell me what "sc" in this means?

loricatus · Oct 11, 2008

can someone tell me what "sc" in this means?

subcutaneous (under the skin, above the muscle). You may also see it abbreviated as sq. It is referring to the route of administration. For an oral medication you will see "po" (by mouth)

mama_d, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2008

We're not allowed to use sc or sq anymore at my facility; have to write out at least "subcut" and some pharmacists will get all prickly and make us write out the whole "subcutaneous" before filling the order. sc/sq are on our list of unapproved abbreviations.

*HaNNaH* · Oct 11, 2008

sc is on our list of abbreviations that we can't use anymore either. We had to do our homework on old worksheets that had this question.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Alternator81 · Oct 11, 2008

sc is on our list of abbreviations that we can't use anymore either. We had to do our homework on old worksheets that had this question.
Thanks everyone for the help!

What other abbreviation does sc or sq resemble?

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2008

what other abbreviation does sc or sq resemble?

http://www.ismp.org/tools/errorproneabbreviations.pdf - ismp's list of error-prone abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations
- sc, sq, sub q - sc mistaken as sl (sublingual); sq mistaken as "5 every"; the "q" in "sub q" has been mistaken as "every (e.g., a heparin dose ordered "sub q 2 hours before surgery" misunderstood as every 2 hours before surgery)
[*]http://www.jointcommission.org/nr/rdonlyres/2329f8f5-6ec5-4e21-b932-54b2b7d53f00/0/06_dnu_list.pdf - the official jcaho "do not use" list

RNnTrainin' · Oct 11, 2008

This is also how I do mine. I always, always, no matter what med calculation, start with the order.

I am the same way. We can figure out most, if not all, problems with this simple equation. I am so glad our instructor shared it with us.