PRACTICAL – 9 : DOSE CALCULATION

Class Exercise:

1. A 23kg, 7-year-old girl of average height is to begin griseofulvin therapy. The average adult dose
is 500mg daily in divided doses. Calculate the amount of drug to be administered to the child per
day.

Ans: We can calculate the dose of the drug in children either by age or by weight as per following formulas:

(i) Young's rule (for 2-12 years of age): Dose = Adult dose x Age of child (years)
Age + 12

= 500 mg x 7
7 + 12

= 3500 mg
19

= 185 mg (approx.)

(ii) Clark’s rule (weight based): Dose = Adult dose x Weight (kg)
70
= 500 mg x 23
70

= 165 mg (approx.)

2. A 10-year-old boy is prescribed syrup isoniazid for tuberculosis. If the duration of treatment is
60 days, how many bottles of isoniazid will be required?
Weight = 24 kg.
Dose in children = 5 mg/kg/day.
Each bottle contains = 100 mg/5 ml drug.
Bottle capacity = 100 ml.
Ans: Dose required = 5 mg/kg/day = 5x24 = 120 mg per day
So, for 60 days =120 x 60 =7200 mg
100 mg of isoniazid is in = 5 ml

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 7200 mg of isoniazid will be in = 5 / 100 x 7200 = 360 ml
Capacity of one bottle= 100ml
So, Number of bottles required = 360/100 = 4 bottles.

3. A child weighing 15 kg is suffering from vivax malaria. He has been prescribed syrup
chloroquine (one bottle of 100 ml, each ml containing 10 mg of chloroquine base). The initial
dose of chloroquine is 10 mg / kg.
a) Calculate the amount of syrup to be administered to the child.
b) Mention various ways of measuring the amount.
c) Which is the most accurate method?
Ans: (a) Dose required = 10 mg/kg = 10x15= 150 mg
10 mg of chloroquine is in = 1 ml
150 mg of chloroquine will be in = 1 / 10 x 150 = 15 ml
Thus, Amount of syrup to be administered= 15 ml

(b) Two methods to calculate pediatric doses:

(i) body surface area (ii) body weight

(c) Body surface area is more reliable method

4. A diabetic patient (Weight = 80 kg) requires Insulin at the rate of 0.1 U/kg/hr. Calculate the
rate of infusion (drop/hr). Insulin is available as 40 U/ml in 5 ml vial.
Ans: Insulin required = 0.1 U/kg/hr = 0.1x 80= 8 U/hr
40 U insulin is in = 1 ml
1 U insulin will be in = 1 /40 ml
The requirement of the patient is = 8 U/hr.
As 1 U = 1 / 40 ml, So requirement is = 8 x 1 / 40 = 0.2 ml / hr
As l ml = 20 drops, Infusion rate (drops/hr) will be: 0.2 x 20 drops/hr = 4 drops/hr

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 5. 80 kg male patient is diagnosed of cerebral malaria needs to be given quinine intravenously at
the rate of 0.02 mg/ kg/ min. Content of one vial is 600 mg which is mixed in 500 ml of 5%
dextrose solution and intravenous drip is set up.
d) Calculate the rate of infusion (drops/minute)
e) How much time is required to infuse entire content of the bottle?
Ans: (a) Quinine required = 0.02 mg/kg/min = 0.02 x 80 = 1.6 mg/min.
600 mg is mixed in = 500 ml
1 mg will be in = 500 / 600 = 5/6 ml
The requirement of the patient is = 1.6 mg/min.
As 1 mg = 5/6 ml, So requirement is = 1.6 x 5/6 = 1.33 ml /min
As l ml = 20 drops, Infusion rate (drops/min) will be: 1.33 x 20 = 27 drops/min
(b) Total time required to administer the infusion will be: As 1.33 ml is infused in 1 min,
then 500 ml will be infused in = 1/1.33 x 500 ml = 375 mins = 6 hr 15 minutes.

6. A patient weight 50 kg requires IV infusion of Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN) at rate of 20

mcg/min. If a 5 ml ampule containing 5mg/ml is dissolved in 500 ml of 0.9% saline, how many
drops/min will provide adequate dose of GTN?
Ans: GTN required = 20 mcg/min
5ml ampule contain = 5mg/ml = 25mg= 25000 mcg GTN (1 mg = 1000 mcg)
25000 mcg GTN dissolved in 500 ml
1 mcg GTN will be in = 500/25000 = 0.02 ml
The requirement of the patient is = 20 mcg/min.
As 1mcg = 0.02 ml, So requirement is = 20 x 0.02 = 0.4 ml/min.
As l ml = 20 drops, Infusion rate (drops/min) will be: 0.4 x 20 = 8 drops/min.

7. Adrenaline is available as 1 ml ampoule in the strength of 1:1000 solution. Calculate the

volume required to administer 0.5 mg.
Ans: Strength of solution = 1:1000, means 1gm of adrenaline is present in 1000 ml of solution.
1gm (1000 mg) adrenaline is present in = 1000 ml,
1mg adrenaline will be present in = 1000 / 1000 = 1ml
Thus, 0.5 mg adrenaline is present in = 1 x 0.5 = 0.5 ml.

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