Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Metric Conversions
Here are some metric weights arranged in size order, starting with the biggest:Kg (kilogram)
g (gram)
mg (milligram)
mcg (microgram)
Each one is a thousand (1000) times smaller than the one before.
The same rule applies for the metric volumes below
L (Litre)
ml (millilitre)
If you want to convert from big to small you multiply by 1000 by moving the decimal
point 3 places to the right.
If you want to convert from small to big you divide by 1000 by moving the decimal
point 3 places to the left.
Example 1: Convert 7.5 kg to g
Answer 1: 7500 g
Answer 2: 7.28 mg
Answer 3: 1500 ml
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 1
ANSWERS
1)
4560 mg
2)
0.075 mg
3)
780 mcg
4)
0.95 g
5)
500 ml
6)
0.452 Litres
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 2
Example:
Your patient has been prescribed 400mg ibuprofen. The tablets available are 200mg.
How many tablets do you give the patient?
Answer:
400
2
200
Notice that the prescription and stock units (mg) must be the same.
Try the following questions
1) A patient has been prescribed 40 mg. The stock tablets you have are 20 mg. How
many tablets do you give the patient?
2) A patient has been prescribed 0.06 mg. The stock tablets you have are 30 mcg.
How many tablets do you give the patient?
3) The stock tablets you have are 600 mcg. A patient has been prescribed 1.2 mg.
How many tablets do you give the patient?
4) A patient has been prescribed 750 mg TDD (total daily dose). The stock tablets you
have are 250 mg. How many tablets do you give the patient in a day?
5) A patient has been prescribed 750 mg TDD in 3 divided doses. The stock tablets
you have are 250 mg. How many tablets do you give the patient for a single dose?
6) A patient has been prescribed 200 mg every 4 hours. The stock tablets you have
are 100 mg. How many tablets do you give the patient in a day?
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 3
ANSWERS
1) 2
2) 0.06 mg = 60 mcg
2
2
3
250
"
250
1
250
6)
6 " %
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 4
Example:
Your patient has been prescribed 50mg of pethidine as injection. The stock strength
available is 100mg in 1ml. How many ml do you give the patient?
Answer:
*+ , * *+
0.5 ml
Notice that prescription and stock units (mg) must be the same.
Try the following questions
1) A patient has been prescribed 2mg of Pethidine. The stock strength you have is
10mg/ml. How many ml do you give the patient?
2) 40 units of Insulin have been prescribed. It is dispensed as 100 units in 1ml. How
much do you give?
3) Ampoules of Morphine contain 10mg in 2ml. What volume must be drawn up to
give 8mg?
4) The patient needs 250 mcg of Drug X. You have 1 mg in 1 ml. How many ml do you
give?
5) 0.6mg of drug X is required. Stock is 0.4 mg in 2 ml. What volume do you give?
6) 0.25g of drug is ordered. Available stock on the ward is 500mg/5ml. Calculate the
volume to be drawn up for injection.
7) 0.1 ml is given; it should have been 0.01ml. How many times too much is this?
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 5
ANSWERS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
,
0.2
,
/,
1.6
,
. ,
.
,
0.4
,
0.25
3
2.5
7)10 times too much. Every time the decimal point moves 1
place this is a factor of 10.
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 6
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 7
ANSWERS
1) 40 x 74 = 2960 mg
2) 90 x 1.5 = 90 + 45 = 135mg
3a) 50 x 45 = 2250mg
3b) 2.25 g
4) 78 x 40 = 3120mg = 3.12 g
5a) 60 x 40 = 2400mcg
5b) = 2.4 mg
6a) 20 x 5 = 100mcg
6b)
& 1 = 2 ml
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 8
011
= 100mg/single dose
Try the following questions
1) Mrs K has been prescribed Amoxicillin, 45 mg/kg/day and she weighs 50 kg.
How many mg of Amoxicillin will you give her for the whole day?
2) A patient, whose weight is 67.5 kg, has been prescribed Drug X, 10 mg/kg/day
in 3 divided doses.
a) Calculate his TDD.
b) Calculate the single dose.
3) A patient has been prescribed Capreomycin sulphate, 5 mg/kg qds. He weighs
94 kg. What is his total daily dose?
4) A patient has been prescribed Cephalothin, 20 mg/kg tds. She weighs 67 kg,
what will be her total daily dose in grams?
5) A patient has been prescribed Chloramphenicol, 45 mg/kg/day in 4 divided
doses. She weighs 70 kg.
a) What is her TDD?
b) What is the single dose?
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 9
ANSWERS
1) 45 x 50 = 2250 mg
3) 5 x 94 x 4 = 94 x 20 = 1880 mg
4) 20 x 67 x 3 = 67 x 60 = 4020 mg = 4.02 g
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 10
500 ml/hour
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 11
ANSWERS
/
1)
400 ml/hour. Remember you must include the unit, ml/hour for a
full and correct answer.
2)
=
=
/
= 63 ml/hour
.
5)
6)
= 125 ml/hour
= 125 ml/hour
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 12
Example: A patient is to receive 1 Litre normal saline over the next 4 hours. What is
the infusion rate in drops per minute if the drop rate is 15?
Answer: First convert 1L to ml, which is 1000 ml, and then substitute into the
formula:
&
&
/
62.5
Remember to round your answer to the nearest whole number = 63 drops per
minute.
Try the following questions
1) Half a litre of fluid is to be given over 5 hours. What is the infusion rate in drops
per minute if the drop factor is 15?
2) A young woman is to be given 480 ml of metronidazole 500 mg over 4 hours. What
is the infusion rate in drop per minute if the drop factor is 20?
3) Over the next 15 hours a male patient is to receive 4 litres of dextrose 5%. What
is the infusion rate in drop per minute if the drop factor is 20?
4) A patient is to receive 500 ml of dextrose 5% over 2 hours. What is the infusion
rate in drops per minute if the drop factor is 20?
5) A female patient is to receive 2 litres of fluid over 10 hours. What is the infusion
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 13
ANSWERS
1)
2)
/
&
&
&
&
25 drops/minute
= 40 drops/minute
Note: you are not being asked about the metronidazole so dont use the 500mg.
3)
&
&
Please note that you have not been asked about the strength of the dextrose solution
so dont use the 5%.
4)
5)
6)
&
&
&
&
&
&
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
= 83.333 = 83 drops/min.
= 31.25 = 31 drops/min
Page 14
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 15
ANSWERS
1)
2)
3)
/
/
/
= 5 hours
= 4 hours
/
4)
5)
= = half an hour
= 12 hours.
= 8 hours
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 16
3) Fluid is given at a rate of 80 ml/hour for 12 hours and 30 minutes. How many Litres
of fluid will have been infused at the end of the running time?
4) How much fluid is given in half an hour if it is running at a rate of 400 ml/hour?
5) An infusion of Dextrose 5% started at 10:00 and finished at 22:00. How many Litres
will have been given if it is running at a rate of 100 ml/hour?
6) 0.9% normal saline is administered at a rate of 400ml/hour for 5 hours after this
the rate is changed to 250 ml/hour for the next 8 hours. How many Litres will have
been given when the infusion finishes?
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 17
ANSWERS
1)
160 x 5 = 800 ml
2)
125 x 4 = 500 ml
3)
4)
400 x = 200 ml
5)
6)
400 x 5 = 2000ml
and then
250 x 8 = 2000ml
Total amount is 2000 + 2000 = 4000ml = 4 Litres
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 18
100 "&
Example 2: You have a cream that is 8% zinc oxide. How many grams of zinc oxide are
there in a 30g tube of cream? (This is an example of a w/w, weight per weight
question).
Answer 2:
30 & 8
2.4 6 &"
100
Try the following questions
1) A patient is given 1 litre of 5% dextrose. How many grams of dextrose do they
receive?
2) A patient is given half a litre of 0.9% normal saline solution over 6 hours, how
much sodium will they get?
3) A patient is given 2 litres of 0.45% saline. How many grams of sodium will the
patient receive?
4) Which is stronger 0.9% Normal saline or 0.45% Normal saline?
6) How many grams of medication do you have in 20g of 12% w/w ointment?
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 19
ANSWERS
1)
2)
,
, .7
50
, .7
4.5
3)
4)
5)
6)
, .
,
,
100
2.4
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 20
*+
* *+
*-
1/
0.1 / 1 10
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 21
ANSWERS
1)
2)
3)
4a)
4a)
20 /
5 /
1g = 1000mg
,
50 /
,
4b) The 1 in 1000 is more suitable for injection (much less fluid) as you can see
from the picture below.
5)
. ,
0.2
numeracy@mdx.ac.uk
Page 22