Basic Drug Calculations

Basic Drug Calculations

General Rules NEVER give a drug without consulting a clinician on your calculations You will need: Weight of patient Dose of drug Concentration of drug

Patient Weight • in Kilograms (kg) • Should be taken every morning • Use the same scale! • Weigh, then calculate

Drug Dosage • usually in mg/kg • will be different for different routes and frequencies of administration • can be found in: • exotic formulary • from clinician • meloxicam • fluids

Drug Concentration • usually in mg/ml • can be found on the bottle • ALWAYS check the concentration of the drug you are actually using

The Actual Math... Ex: Pip Orbifloxacin • weight: 1.12 kg • dose: 15 mg/kg • concentration: 30 mg/ml • amount: 0.56 ml 1. weight (kg) x dose (mg/kg) = mg 2. mg x concentration (mg/ml) = amount to administer (ml) *you are actually dividing **Fluid doses are in ml/kg so you only need step 1!

On Your Treatment Sheet... • Name of drug • Dose • Concentration • Actual Amount • Route of Administration • SQ, IM, IV, PO, eye drop, etc • Frequency • SID, BID, QID, TID • or q12h, e.g. • Orbifloxacin • 15 mg/kg • 30 mg/ml • PO • BID

Questions??

Basic Drug Calculations