CHAPTER 6

ORAL MEDICATION DOSES

ASHA RUSSEL
ASST. SCIENCE TUTOR ‘A’
 Simple (One-Step) Problems

 In this section the equivalent used will

come from the strength of the drug that
is available, for example, 30 mg/mL.
Medication in Solid Form
 Example 1

 Read the label on the next slide. How

many tablets of this narcotic analgesic
will be needed for a dose containing
10 mg of hydrocodone bitartrate and
1,000 milligrams of acetaminophen?
Figure 6.3 Drug label for Vicodin.
 Example 1

 Vicodin is a combination drug

composed of hydrocodone bitartrate
and acetaminophen.

 Therefore, for computational

purposes, you need to only address
the first listed drug (hydrocodone
bitartrate).
 Example 1

 Because the dose requires 10 mg of

hydrocodone bitartrate, convert the 10
mg to the appropriate number of
tablets.

10 mg = ? tab
 Example 1

 The strength of the drug is 5 mg (of

hydrocodone bitartrate) per tablet will
be used to form the unit fraction.
10 mg 1 tab
  ? tab
1 5 mg

10 mg 1 tab
  2 tab
1 5 mg

So, 2 tablets are needed for the dose.

Medication in Liquid Form
 Example 2

 The prescriber ordered potassium

chloride 10 mEq PO daily. The
strength of the potassium chloride
solution is 20 mEq/15 mL. Determine
how many milliliters of this electrolyte
supplement you should administer.
 Example 2

 You want to change 10 mEq to mL

using the strength of 20 mEq per 15
mL to form the unit fraction.

10 mEq 15 mL
  ? mL
1 20 mEq
 Example 2

10 mEq 15 mL
  ? mL
1 20 mEq

10 mEq 15 mL 15 mL
 
1 20 mEq 2

= 7.5 mL
So, you should administer 7.5 mL of
potassium chloride
Medications Measured in
Milliequivalents
 Example 3

 The order is potassium chloride 30 mEq

PO daily in three divided doses. Read
the label on the following slide and
determine how many tablets should be
administered.
Figure 6.11 Drug label for K-Tab.
 Example 3
 Change 30 mEq to tablets.
? tab
30 mEq   ? tab
? mEq

 Each tablet contains 10 mEq, so the

unit fraction is:
1 tab
10 mEq
 Example 3
 Change 30 mEq to tablets.

30 mEq × 1 tab/10 mEq = 3 tabs

 Because the order indicates “three

divided doses,” you would administer 1
tablet of K-Tab every 8 hours.
Complex (Multi-Step) Problems
 Example 4
 Read the label below, and calculate the
number of tablets of Diflucan that
contain 0.4 gram of fluconazole.
 Multi-Step Problems

 Given quantity
 0.4 g

 Strength
 1 tab = 100 mg

 Quantity you want to find

 ? tab
 Example 4
 You want to change 0.4 g to tablets.
The strength of the tablets is 100 mg
per tab.
0.4 g = ? mg = ? tab

0.4 g ? mg ? tab
  = ? tab
1 ? g ? mg

The unit fractions come from

1 g = 1,000 mg and 100 mg = 1 tab
 Example 4

0.4 g 1,000 mg 1 tab

   ? tab
1 1g 100 mg

0.4 g 1,000 mg 1 tab

   4 tab
1 1g 100 mg

So, 4 tablets contain 0.4 gram of fluconazole.

Dosages Based on the Size of the
Patient
 Calculating Dosage by Body Weight

 Sometimes the amount of medication

prescribed depends on the patient’s
body weight. A patient who weighs
more will receive more of the drug, and
a patient who weighs less will receive
less of the drug.
 Example 5
 The physician orders Biaxin (clarithromycin) 7.5
milligrams per kilogram PO q12h. If the strength
is 250 milligrams per 5 mL, how many mL of
this antibiotic drug should be administered to a
patient who weighs 70 kilograms?
Body weight: 70 kg
Order: 7.5 mg/kg
Strength: 250 mg/5mL
Find: ? mL
 Example 5
 Multiply the size of the patient by the
order to determine how many
milligrams of Biaxin to give the patient.

70 kg 7.5 mg
  ? mg
1 1 kg
= 525 mg

So, the patient must receive 525 mg of Biaxin.

 Example 5
 Now convert the 525 mg of Biaxin to
milliliters. The strength of the solution
is 250 mg/5 mL.

525 mg 5 mL
  ? mL
1 250 mg
525 mg 5 mL 21 mL
  = 10.5 mL
1 250 mg 2

The patient should receive 10.5 mL of Biaxin by

mouth every 12 hours.
 Calculating Dosage by
Body Surface Area
 Body surface area (BSA) is also used in
determining appropriate drug dosages.
This is particularly true of pediatric
drugs and drugs that are used for
cancer therapy.

 A patient’s BSA, which is measured in

square meters (m2), can be estimated
by using formulas or nomograms.
Calculating BSA Using Formulas
 Formula for metric units:

 Formula for household units:

Calculating BSA Using Nomogram
 Example 6

 What is the BSA of a man who is 5 feet

6 inches tall and weighs 168 pounds?

 First, convert 5 feet 6 inches to 66

inches.
 Example 6

168  66
BSA 
3,131

 3.5414

 1.88 m 2

Therefore, the BSA of this man is 1.88 m2

 Example 7

 A drug is ordered at 3.3 mg/m2 PO q12h

for three doses. How many scored 5-mg
tablets of this drug would you administer
to a patient with a BSA of 2.29 m2?
BSA: 2.29 m2
Order: 3.3 mg/m2
Strength: 1 tab = 5 mg
Find: ? tab
 Example 7

 The patient’s BSA is 2.29 m2 and the

order is for 3.3 mg/m2. First, multiply
the size of the patient by the order to
determine how many milligrams of the
drug to give the patient.
 Example 7

2
2.29 m 3.3 mg
 2
 ? mg
1 m
≈ 7.56 mg

So, the patient must receive 7.56 mg of the

drug.
 Example 7

 Finally, convert 7.56 mg to tablets

1 tab
7.56 mg  ≈ 1.51 tab
5 mg
 Example 7

 This example could have been done in

one line as follows:

2.29 m2/1 × 3.3 mg/m2 × 1 tab/5 mg

≈ 1.51 tab

So, scored tablets would be administered.

 Chapter Summary

 It is crucial to ensure that every

medication administered is within the
recommended safe dose range.

 Some drugs, such as electrolytes, are

measured in milliequivalents (mEq).
 Chapter Summary

 Calculating doses by body weight

Start calculations with the weight of the

patient.
Multiply the size of the patient (kg) by

the order to obtain the dosage.

 Chapter Summary

 Calculating doses by body surface area

Body surface area (BSA) is measured in

square meters (m2 ).

BSA is determined by using either a

formula or a nomogram.
Start calculations with the BSA of the

patient.