pp DOSAGE CALCULATION

Question 1:

• Find out the dose of amoxicillin for 10 yrs old child with URI by
Dilling’s formula.

• Preparation available 125mg tablet, 250 mg tablet, 500 mg

capsule.

• Adult dose = 500 mg TDS.

Answer 1:

• Child’s dose = Age in yrs / 20 x Adult dose.

= 10/20 x 500

= 250 mg.

Child’s dose = 250 mg thrice a day.

Question 2:

• Find out the dose of Erythromycin for 3 yrs old child with acute
tonsillitis by Dilling’s formula.

• Preparation available : syrup 125mg / 5ml.

Adult dose = 500 mg 6th hourly.

Answer 2:

Child’s dose = Age in yrs / 20 x Adult dose.

= 3/20 x 500

= 75 mg.

Child’s dose = 75 mg 6th hourly.

5ml = 125 mg

1ml = 125/5 = 25 mg.

Therefore, 75 mg will be present in 1/25 x 75

= 3ml 6th hourly.

Question 3:

• Calculate the dose of parenteral Cefuroxime for 9 yrs child with

acute meningitis by Young’s formula.

• Preparation available : 250 mg, 500 mg, 750 mg injection.

• Adult dose : 750 mg iv 8 hourly.

Answer 3:

Age in yrs x Adult dose

Child’s dose = ---------------------------------------
Age + 12
9 X750
= -----------------
9+12
= 321 mg.
Child’s dose = 321 mg.

Approximately 320 mg iv 8th hourly.

Total dose = 960 mg/day.

Approximately = 1 g /day.

Can be given as 500 mg inj twice daily or 250 mg QID.

QUESTION-4

• A 6 yrs old female baby suffering from LRI was prescribed syp.
Paracetamol.

• Adult dose of paracetamol = 500 mg thrice daily.

• Strength of paracetamol in the syrup = 125mg/ 5ml.

Weight of the child = 20 kg. Find out the dose & volume of the
syrup required using Clark’s formula.

ANSWER-4:

body weight in kg

Clark’s formula = --------------------------------------- X Adult dose

70

• = 20 / 70 X500

• = 142.8 mg. ( 150mg thrice a day)

• 5 ml of syrup contains 125 mg.

• Approximately, 150 mg will be present in

• = 5/125 X150

= 6 ml thrice a day.
QUESTION-5:

• Calculate the dose of ibuprofen for a child aged 8 yrs diagnosed

to have septic arthritis using Young’s formula.

• Adult dose = 400 mg 6th hourly.

Preparation available : 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg tablet.

ANSWER-5:

Age in yrs

Child’s dose = __________ X Adult dose

Age + 12

= 8 /8+12 x 400.

= 8/ 20 x 400.

= 160mg 6th hourly.

Based on the preparation available it can be given as 200 mg 6th

hourly.
QUESTION-6:

• Calculate the amount of oral iron required for a 7 yrs old child
weighing 25 kg diagnosed to have moderate iron deficiency
anemia.

Hb level = 9 g/dl.

Preparation available : syp. Ferric ammonium citrate – 5 ml contains

60 mg elemental iron.

ANSWER-6

• Dose of iron required : 5 mg /kg body weight / day in 2 divided

dose.

• Daily requirement of iron = 5 mg/kg.

= 5 X 25

= 125 mg /day in 2 divided doses.

= 125/ 2

= 62.5 mg BD ( 60 mg BD).

5 ml syrup contains 60 mg of elemental iron.

• Thus the patient requires 5 ml of syp.Ferric ammonium citrate

twice daily.
QUESTION-7:

• Calculate the strength & volume of mannitol to be administerd

to a male patient weighing 60kg with raised intracranial tension.

Preparation available : 20 % mannitol (20 g in 100ml).

ANSWER-7:

• Dose of mannitol required = 0.25 to 2 g/kg administered over 30

to 60 min.

= 0.25 X 60 kg

= 15g.

20 % solution has 20 g in 100ml.

100 X 15

Therefore, 15 g will be present in = __________

20

= 75 ml.
QUESTION-8:

• A male patient weighing 60 kg was diagnosed to have P.falciparum

malaria. Calculate the dose & the number of tablets of Chloroquine
required for this patient provided the organism is sensitive to it.

Preparation available : Chloroquine phosphate 250 mg base.= 150 mg

Chloroquine

ANSWER-8

Requirement = 10 mg/kg loading dose followed by 5 mg / kg after 6 hrs, on

first day. & 5 mg/kg on 2nd & 3rd day.

Weight of the patient = 60 kg.

Loading dose required = 60x 10

= 600 mg.

1 tab of Chloroquine phosphate = 150 mg of drug.

600 mg = 1/150 x 600

= 4 tablets.

Dose after 6 hrs = 5mg/kg.

2 & 3 rd days = 5 x 60 = 300.

150 mg= 1 tablets.

300mg=2 tablets

2 tablets of Chloroquine phosphate after 6hrs, 2nd & 3rd dose.

Thus total number of tablets required = 4+2+2+2

=10 tab
QUESTION-9

Calculate the dose of gentamicin for a 60 yrs old man weighing 60 kg, suffering from severe
lower respiratory tract infection. His creatinine clearance is 60ml/min.

Normal adult dose = 1 to 1.5 mg/kg body weight.

Creatinine clearance Dose interval

>70ml /min 8th hourly

30 -70ml/min 12th hourly

10-30 ml/min 24th hourly

<10ml/min 48th hourly

Prep : Inj.Gentamicin - 2 ml/vial ( 40mg/ml)

ANSWER-9

Individual dose = 1 mg/kg

= 1X 60

= 60mg/dose

Creatinine clearance = 60 ml/min.

Dose interval for this clearance value is 60mg 12 th hrly.

1ml contains 40 mg.

40mg=1ml

Therefore, 60 mg = 1/40 X 60

= 1.5 ml.

Thus the patient has to be administered 1.5ml of Gentamicin twice daily for 5 to 7 days.
QUESTION-10

• A patient with body weight 70 kg, aged 50 yrs with chronic renal failure has a Sr.Creatinine
value of 3.5 mg/dl. He was prescribed Cap.Cephalexin for UTI as the organism was sensitive to
it. The normal adult dose is 500 mg BD. Calculate the corrected dose for this patient based on
his Creatinine clearance.

Prep available: 125, 250, 500 tablet.

ANSWER-10

(140 –Age) x Body weight

Creatinine clearance= --------------------------------------

Sr. Cr x 72

140 – 50 x 70

= ----------------------------

3.5 x 72

90 x 70

= ------------------------

252

= 6300/252

= 25 ml/min.

Corrected dose based on Cockcroft Gault formula.

Normal dose x patient Cr.Clearance

Corrected dose = --------------------------------------------------------

Normal Cr. Cl

500 x 25 ml/min

= -------------------------

100 ml/min

= 5 x 25

= 125 mg twice a day

QUESTION-11

• Calculate the oral dose of metronidazole for a 7 years old child

weighing 24kg suffering from intestinal amoebiasis.

Preparation available : 200mg, 400mg tablets

ANSWER-11

• Dose of metronidazole for a child = 50 mg/kg/day in 3 divided

doses

= 50mg x 24

=1200mg/ day

The above dose is given in 3 divided doses

Hence 1200/3 = 400 mg per dose

= 400mg thrice a day.

QUESTION-12

A 24 year old man was admitted for diarrhoea with severe

dehydration. He was started with iv fluids 180ml to be infused in 3
hours . calculate the number of drops per minute that should be
adjusted in IV line.

ANSWER-12

180ml to be infused in 3 hours

So in 1 hour = 180/3 = 60ml

60ml to be infused in 60 min

So in 1 min → 1ml is to be infused

1ml contains 15 drops

1ml/min has to infused.

So drops that has to be set is 15 drops / min.

QUESTION 13:

• In a 70 kg adult male patient with severe hypotension,

dopamine is infused. The following data are provided for
calculation purposes.

• Dopamine Hydrochloride:Available as 40 mg/ml in 5 ml

Ampoule

• Adult dose is 2 to 50 mcg/kg/min, as infusion

• Dopamine is dissolved in 500 ml of 5% Dextrose solution.

• Infusion rate desired is 4 mcg/kg/min.

• 1 ml = 20 drops.

1.] If 5 ml Ampoule of Dopamine is dissolved in 500 ml of 5%

Dextrose, then calculate the concentration of Dopamine present in
one drop.

2.] Calculate the number of drops per minute to be infused?

ANSWER-13

1.]

• 1ml=40mg, 5ml=5x40=200mg

• 200 mg of Dopamine is dissolved in 500ml

• 1 ml = 20 drops
• 500 ml= 500x20=10,000 drops

• 200 mg is present in 500 ml = 10,000 drops

• So 2,00,000 mcg is present in 10000 drops

• 10,000 drops=2,00,000 mcg

• 1 drop=2,00,000/10,000

• =20mcg

• So each drop will contain = 20 mcg.

2.] For patient weighing 70 kg & infusion rate 4mcg/kg/min

4x70 = 280 µg. / min.

20 µg of dopamine= 1 drop

1 x 280

• 280µg will be present in ---------------

20

= 14 drops

• So to infuse 4mcg/kg/min, one has to infuse at the rate of 14

drops/min.
QUESTION-14:

• A 60 kg old male admitted with complaints of breathlessness,

lethargy and was extremely pale on examination. Investigations
were suggestive of iron deficiency anemia with hemoglobin of
9gms%

• DATA:

• Iron Dextran (Complex of Ferric oxide with LMW dextran which

contains 50 mg of elemental iron /ml) is given as inj. of 2ml ( 1
Ampoule)

• Test dose 0.25ml deep IM.

• Questions:

• 1. Calculate the total iron to be given to the patient.

• 2. If the iron is to be given by IM calculate the duration of

treatment.

ANSWERS 14

• 1. For an adult male the desired Hb level is 16 gms

Iron required in mgs = 4.4 X body weight (in Kgs) X Hb deficit

= 4.4 X 60 X (16 - 9)

= 1848 mg

2) Each ampoule of iron dextran contains 2 ml

1 ml of iron dextran contains 50 mg

• 2 ml of Iron dextran contains 100 mg

• 100 mg =1 ampoule

• 1848 mg = 1848 /100

• 18.48 ampoules

• rounded to 19 ampoules

• Since every alternative day 2 ml (1 ampoule) is given

• The No. of days required = 38 days

QUESTION-15

A 48 year old female patient diagnosed to have carcinoma breast.

After completing modified radical mastectomy she was started on
chemotherapy with CMF regimen. Calculate the dose of each drug to
be given to the patient on day 1 according to body surface area.

• DATA:

• Body surface area of this patient = 1.3m2

• Cyclophosphamide = 600mg/m2 iv day 1(500mg dry powder to

be dissolved in 25ml of water)

• Methotrexate = 40mg/m2 iv day 1 (25mg/ml)

• 5- FU =600mg/m2 iv day 1 (500mg/10ml)

• BSA(m2 ) = 0.007184 X height (cm)0.725 x weight (kg)0.425

ANSWERS 15

• Body surface area calculated is 1.3 m2

• Dose of cyclophosphamide is 600mg/m²

600 x 1.3 = 780mg

• Hence 500mg = 25ml

780x25

780mg = -------------------

500
 = 39ml

• Dose of methotrexate is 40mg/m²

40 x 1.3 = 52mg

25mg = 1ml

52mg = 2ml approx

• Dose of 5 – FU is 600mg/m²

600x 1.3 = 780mg

500mg = 10ml

780mg = 16ml approx