Drug Doses

Drugs must be measured correctly so that the patient has exactly the right dose. Slightly too
much or too little may make an important difference.
Children are often given exactly the same drugs as adults, but in considerably
smaller doses. There are several different ways of calculating children's dosages,
according to the weight of the child, e.g. Young's rule:
Child's dose = age of child (years) x adult dose
age + 12
For infants, Fried's rule can be used:
Infant's dose = age ( months) x adult dose
150
In general the following rules can -be used:
Children under one year old are given 1/24 of the adult dose. ,
Children of one year old are given 1/12 of the adult dose.
At 2.5 years they can take 1/8of the adult dose..
At 5 years they can take 1/4 of the adult dose.
At 10 years 1/2 the adult dose is given.
At 20 years the adult dose is given.
A. Calculate the answers to these questions, using the last method mentioned in the
reading passage:
1) An adult is given two tablets. How many tablets are given to a child aged ten?
2) An adult can take 50 mg of a drug. How much can a five year old take?
3) If a five year old can take 25 mg of a drug, how big is the adult dose?
4) An adult is given 36 ml of a fluid. How big a dose is given to a child aged one?
5) An adult is given 40 mg of a drug. Each tablet contains 10 mg. How many
tablets are given to a child aged ten?
B. Say whether these statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
1) The patient must be given approximately the correct dose.
2) Children are given considerably smaller doses than adults.
3) Fried's rule can be used to calculate how large a dose should
be given to a baby.
4) A five year old child must take a slightly smaller dose than an adult.
5) A ten year old child can take a considerably larger dose than a baby.
 Pure Drugs
Read this:
Pure drugs must often be diluted with water to make them weak enough to use safely.
The drug then constitutes a certain percentage of the solution.
For example, a 70% solution of alcohol in water can be used to kill bacteria. A 0.5-1 %
% solution of chlorine can be used for disinfecting baths, basins and toilets. A 1 % solution
of chlorhexidine is used for cleaning the skin.
To make a solution the amount of the pure drug to be used must first be calculated. A
ratio-proportion formula is used for this.

C. Now answer these questions:

1. How many gm of boric acid are needed to make 500 ml of a 2% solution?

2. How many gm of glucose are needed to make 250 ml of a 5% solution?

3. How many ml of vinegar are needed to make 300 m1 of a 4% solution?

4. How many ml of alcohol are needed to make 1 liter of a 70% solution?

5. How many gm of glucose are needed to make 600 ml of a 4% solution?

6. How many gm of boric acid are needed to make a liter of a 1% solution?

7. How many ml of Lysol are needed to make 300 ml of a 2% solution?
8. How many gm of glucose are needed to make 650 ml of a 5% solution?
9. How many ml of vinegar acid are needed to make 450 ml of a 3% solution?
10. How many gm of salt are needed to make 250 of a 2% solution?