Math is a vital actor in the health care arena.

Medical providers must obtain reliable data and calculations to prevent, diagnose
and treat medical problems.
Mastery of the tools of health care, units of measurements and formulas --
scientific and financial -- promotes the efficient and profitable delivery of
services and lessens the risk of
medical mistakes that blossom into potential tragedies and malpractice lawsuits.

Taking Vital Signs

Vital signs -- temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate and blood pressure -- serve
as our bodies� dashboard indicators.
Medical assistants and nurses must know the units of measurement for these signs
and how to read the instruments that measure them.

Dispensing Medications
Nurses must translate medication orders into the right doses and number of pills to
administer.
Essentially, the number of pills needed equals the dosage desired divided by the
dosage the hospital has on hand.

In the Operating Room

Math is critical to helping anesthesiologists concoct safe solutions and the right
levels of oxygen for surgical patients.
Anesthesiologists consider variables such as patients� weight, the desired drug or
solution dosages and the amount of dilution needed so that the active chemical is
not too strong.

The Bottom Line

Accountants calculate the profits and losses of health care facilities, while
administrators oversee the finances.

Both doctors and nurses use math every day while providing health care for people
around the world.
Doctors and nurses use math when they write prescriptions or administer medication.

Medical professionals use math when drawing up statistical graphs of epidemics or

success rates of treatments.
Math applies to x-rays and CAT scans. Numbers provide an abundance of information
for medical professionals.
It is reassuring for the general public to know that our doctors and nurses have
been properly trained by studying mathematics and its uses for medicine.