DRUG CALCULATION

CONVERT THE FOLLOWING:

1. 5 teaspoons to mL
9. 8 mg to mcg
2. 3 tablespoons to teaspoon
10.38 oC to oF
3. 7 ounce to mL
11.35.5 oC to oF
4. 6 cups to ounce
12.110 oF to oC
5. 2 glasses to ounce
13.101 oF to oC
6. 7 fluid drams to min
14.

70 lbs to oz

7. 1000 mg to grains
15.

20 min to mL

8. 1/6 grain to grams

SOLVE THE FOLLOWING:

1. A patient has an order for Dexametyhasone (Decadron) 6 mg IV push stat.
Available is a vial of dexamethasone with a concentration of 4 mg/ml. How
many mL does the nurse draw into the syringe to administer the dose?

2. The patient has an order for Cefotaxime (Claforan) 1 gram IV q6h. The
reconstituted vial in the patients medication drawer is labeled with a
concentration of 95 mg/ml. How many milliliters of solution should be added to
the IV bag for the intermittent infusion?

3. The patient has an order for globuride (DiaBeta) 1.25 mg before breakfast and
dinner. Available are 2.5mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse plan to
administer?

4. The patient has an order for lorazepam (Ativan) 0.5 mg IV q6h PRN for
agitation. Available is a vial containing 2 mg/ml. how many ml of solution
should the nurse draw up for injection?
5. A patient has a temperature of 101.2 oF. There is an order for acetaminophen
(Tylenol) 650 mg PO for fever, and 325 mg tablets are available. How many
tablets should the nurse give?
6. A patient complaints of pain in his right lower extremity. The Physician orders
codeine 60 mg and aspirin grains XPO every 4 hours, as needed for pain. Each
1

codeine tablet contains 15 mg of codeine. Each aspirin contains 325 mg of

aspirin. How much codeine and aspirin should be administered by the nurse?

7. A nurse is calculating a patients fluid intake for an 8 hour period. The patient
drank 8 ounce of tea and 4 ounce of orange juice for breakfast, 4 ounce of
water at 10 AM and at 1 PM when taking his medications, and 6 oz of iced tea
at lunch. At 8 AM and again at 2 PM, the patient received his antibiotics
intravenously in 50 mL of normal saline. What is the patients total intake in
milliliters?

8. The physician orders nitroglycerin, 1/150 gr. The medication label reads 0.4 mg
per tablet. The nurse prepares to administer how many tablets to the patient?

9.

A 3 month old has an order for Acetaminophen (Tylenol) suspension 45 mg

PO q4h prn. The product label lists of concentration of 500 mg/mL. After
determining that the dosage is safe, how many mL should the nurse
administer?

10.
The physician orders continuous heparin sodium by IV at 1000 units per
hour. The label on the IV bag reads 500 mL D 5W with 20,000 units of heparin
sodium. How many milliliters per hour are required to administer the correct
dose?

11.
The physician orders continuous heparin regular insulin by IV at 10 units
per hour. The label on the IV bag reads 100 mL NS with 50 units regular insulin.
How many milliliters per hour are required to administer the correct dose?

12.
A physician orders an intravenous (IV) dose of 400,000 units of penicillin G
benzathine (Bicillin). The label on the 10-ml ampule sent from the pharmacy
reads penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin), 300,000 units per milliliter. A nurse
prepares how much medication to administer the correct dose?

13.
Gentamicin sulfate (Garamycin), 80 mg in 100 ml normal saline (NS), is be
administered over 30 minutes. The drop factor is 10 drops per milliliter. A nurse
sets the flow rate at how many drops per minute?

14.
The nurse cares for a client receiving hourly peritoneal dialysis exchanges.
During a one hour exchange, the nurse infuses 2000 ml of dialysate and 1,900
ml of outflow is returned. During the exchange, the client drinks 8 oz of apple
juice, 2 cups of water, and voids 150 ml of urine. Calculate and record the
clients intake in milliliters.