Answers to
the "A Little Practice for the Math Test"!
1. 1 ounce is equivalent to 30 ml’s.
2. 1 kilogram is equivalent to 2.2 pounds. This 124 pound woman weighs 56.36 kg.
3. If she is ordered to receive 10 mcgs/kg/min of an IV infusion, you would calculate
10 mcgs x 56.36 kgs.= 563.6 mcg/min.
4. The order is to give 250 mg of the medication at bedtime. The bottle reads 250 mg/5 ml. You need to know that 5ml equals 1 teaspoon and inform her to give 1 teaspoon of the medicine at bedtime.
5. 5 grains of Aspirin is 300 mgs.
6. There are 60 mgs in 1 grain.
7. Given the above information in question 6, you should now know that an order for codeine sulfate 1 grain would require you to give 1 of the tablets labeled codeine sulfate 60 mg to Mrs. Lind.
8. If the syringe is labeled as 125 mgs/2 ml and the patient is to receive 50 mgs of the medication, you would draw up 0.8 ml’s
9. To infuse the 50 ml’s of D5W containing the 1 gram of ancef over ½ hour, please remember this formula: The amount (50 ml) x drip factor (10 drops/ml) divided by the time (30/mins) . You should calculate the drip rate at 16.7 drops per minute.
10. As above, take the amount of fluid (1000 ml) x drip factor (10 drops/ml) and divide it by time (8 hours = 480 mins) to get a drip rate of 20.8 drops/min.
11. Vancomycin: The amount (100 ml) x the drip factor (10 drops/ml) divide by the time (2 hours = 120 mins) gives you a drip rate of 8.3 drops/ min.
12. Gladys would receive 1 ml of Demerol (50 mg/ml) and ½ ml of Vistaril (50 mg/ml) for a total amount of 1.5 mls.
13. If there is 20 meq of KCL in 1000 ml, there would be 0.02 meq in each ml (20 meq.divided by 1000). Then 800 ml x .02 ml/ml would be 16 meq of KCL.
14. 100 ml will be give in 30 mins (1/2 hour). Take 100 ml divided by 30min x 60gtt/ml=200gtt/min.
15. Remember the formula: Dose desired (1800 units/hour) divided by the dose on hand (20, 000 units) x the quantity of solution (500 ml) = 45 ml/hr.
16. There is 40,000 units of heparin in 1000 ml of D5W. You can calculate from this that each ml contains 40 units of heparin (40,000 divided by 1,000). From this point you can calculate that if each ml contains 40 units of heparin and Mr. Reynolds is getting 40 ml each hour, he’s getting 1600 units/hr (40 x 40).
17. First calculate the dose this patient is receiving each hour. He’s getting 30 mcgs/min or 1800 mcgs each hour (30 mcgs/min x 60 mins in an hour). Then use the formula: Desired dose (1800 mcgs/hr) divided by the dose on hand (50 mgs or 50,000 mcgs) x the amount of solution (500 ml) The pump should be at 18 ml/hr.
18. One grain is equivalent to 60 mgs. To give the desired dose in this question use the standard formula of dose desired (30 mg) divided by the dose on hand (1 grain or 60 mg) x quantity (1 tablet). You should give ½ tablet.
19. One grain is equivalent to 60 mgs. You are to give 10 grains or 600 mgs (10 x 60 ) If each aspirin is 325 mgs, you would give 2 aspirin.
20. Take the total volume of blood (700 ml) and divide by the time in minutes (8 hours is 480 minutes) and multiply by your drop factor (10 drops/ml) You would administer 14.5 drops per minute. (If you are using an I.V. pump, take the total ml’s ordered (700) and divide by the total hours ordered (8 hours) to get 87.5 ml/hr).