In nursing school, you will learn how to calculate dosage and calculation problems. This article gives a video tutorial and written instructions on how to solve oral suspension drug dosage problems. As a registered nurse, you will have to know how much of a medication to give a patient based on the doctor’s order.
In this video tutorial, Sarah uses the easy problem-solving technique called dimensional analysis. Dimensional analysis is a useful technique when solving for any unknown value. The reason is due to the fact you can multiple any value by 1 and still come up with the answer you are seeking. When you finally learn the technique of using dimensional analysis you can use it to solve any type of problem. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”!
Video on How to Solve Oral Drug Dosage Calculations
Be sure to download the worksheet, before you watch this video, so you can solve the problems as Sarah solves them.
Free Quizzes
After you are done watching this video tutorial, test your knowledge by taking the oral medication quiz.
Oral Medication Drug Calculation Practice Problems
- MD orders Lactulose 5 grams by mouth twice a day. The pharmacy dispenses you with 40 grams/30 ml. How many ml will you administer per dose?
5 grams = ? ml/dose
5 grams x 30 ml 150= 3.75 ml/dose
? dose 40 grams 40
- MD orders Noxafil oral suspension 25,000 mcg by mouth daily. The pharmacy dispenses you with 100 mg/ml. How many ml will you administer per dose?
25,000 mcg = ? ml/dose
25,000 mcg x 1 mg x 1 ml = 25,000 = 0.25 ml/dose
? dose 1,000 mcg 100 mg 100,000
- MD orders Ibuprofen 6mg/kg by mouth every 4 hours as needed for pain for a child. The child weighs 64 lbs. Pharmacy dispenses you with 50 mg/2 ml. How many ml will you administer per dose?
6 mg/kg= ? ml/dose
64 lbs x 1 kg x 6 mg x 2 ml= 768 = 6.981818 = 7 ml/dose
1 (child) 2.2 lbs 1 kg 50 mg 110
- MD orders GI cocktail 250 mg by mouth every 4 hours for one day. Pharmacy dispenses you with 100mg/2ml. How many ml will you administer daily?
250 mg= ? ml/day
6 doses x 250 mg x 2 ml =3,000 = 30 ml/day
1 day 1 dose 100 mg 100
- MD orders Cipro oral suspension 500 mg by mouth every 12 hours. Pharmacy dispenses you with 10 grams/50 ml. How many tsp will you administer per dose?
500 mg= ? tsp/dose
500 mg x 1 gram x 50 ml x 1 Tbsp x 3 tsp = 75,000 = 0.5 tsp/dose
1 dose 1,000 mg 10 grams 15 ml 1 Tbsp 150,000