Dosage and

Calculations
By H Williams

320 mls of 5% Dextrose in 0.45%

Sodium Chloride remains and is being
infused at 55 drops/minute.
The drop factor is 15. How long will the
infusion take to complete at this rate.
Your answer should be rounded off to
the nearest whole number.

FORMULA FOR TIME REMAINING

Volume (ml) X drop factor (drops/mL) = time
(min/hr)
Rate (drops/min)
Place values in formula: = 320 x 15 = 87.272
or
55
= 87mins or 1hr 27mins

1L of 10% Dextrose in water is

prescribed over 10 hours.
The drop factor is 10.
What is the drip rate required? Your
answer should be rounded off to the
nearest whole number

FORMULA FOR DRIP RATE

Volume (ml) X drop factor (drops/ml)
Time (min)
= drops/minute
First convert the volume to be infused into
millilitres: - to convert 1litre to millilitres: move
the decimal place.
Work out how many decimal places to be moved
by subtracting the conversion factor numerators
for example..

 1 litre = 10^0
1 millilitre = 10^-3 litre = 0- -3 = 3 move the
decimal 3 places to the right
1 litre = 1000 mls
Convert time to minutes: 10 hrs = (10x60)
= 600 minutes

Place the values in the formula = 1000 x 10

600
= 16.6666 = 17 drops/minutes

125 mgs of Pethidine IM 4 hourly prn is

prescribed.
On hand you have 100 mg in 2mls. How
many millilitres will you administer?

FORMULA FOR FLUID DOSAGES

Required dose (what you want) x stock
volume
Stock dose (what you have)
= (dosage in mls)

Place the values in formula:

125 mgs x 2mls = 1.25 x 2mls = 2.5mls
100mgs
1
3 milligrams of Haloperidol is prescribed
bd.
On hand you have 1.5 milligram tablets.
How
many tablets will you give?

FORMULA FOR TABLETS

Required dose (what you want) x 1
Stock dose (what you have)
= number of tablets
Place the values in the formula: 3mgs x 1
1.5mgs
= 2tablets