Dose Calculations
Posology: the pharmacological study of drug
dosage (treatment dosage & regimen).
Usual recommended dose: the amount of
drug that will ordinarily produce the effect
for what is intended.
Minimum dose: the smallest dose of drug
that produces therapeutic effect.
Maximum dose: the largest dose that can
safely be administered (paracetamol 10-15
mg/kg/dose).
Toxic dose: amount of drug that causes
harmful effect.
Lethal dose: amount of substance that will
cause death.
Maintenance dose: amount to be taken to
maintain the therapeutic effective dose.
Loading dose: first dose given to achieve
maintenance drug level quickly.
Weights and Measurements
&
Drug dosage calculation
Drugs are marketed in various formulations like
Capsules, ampoules, vials, tablets, ointments
etc.
Drug concentrations are expressed as;
1. Weight for solid medicaments i.e. mg or gm.
2. For liquid formulation like syrups, injections
drug concentration can be expressed in 2 ways
i.e.,
a. W/V (mg/ml, gm/ml, units/ml).
b. V/V (70% Ethyl alcohol V/V = 70ml ethyl
alcohol in 100 ml solution).
c. W/W in semisolid medications like ointment.
W/V
1gm solute in 100 ml of solvent = 1%
V/V
1 ml of solute in 100 ml of solvent
W/W
1gm of solute in 100 gm solvent
Benzoic acid 12% 12 gm in 100 gm base
Weights & Measurements
We have 2 types of systems for
measurements
1. Metric system
2. Domestic system
Metric system
The basic weight of this system is Kilogram
(Kg) and the basic measure of capacity is
Litre (l)
Weights:
1 Kilogram (Kg) = 1000 grams (g)
1 g = 1000 milligrams (mg)
1 mg = 1000 micrograms (mcg or µg)
1 µg = 1000 nanogram (ng)
Measures:
1 litre = 1000 millilitres (ml)
The Apothecary System
Weights:
• 1 pound (d) = 16 ounces(oz)
• 1 Ounce(oz) = 8 Drams (dr)
• 1 Dram (dr) = 60Grams (gr)
Measures
1 pint (o) = 16 fluid ounces (oz)
1 Fl. Ounce = 8 fluid drams
1 Fl.Dram = 60 minims(m)
Approximate equivalents
Apothecary Metric Domestic
1 minim 0.065 ml 1 drop
1 dram 4 ml 1 teaspoon
12 drams 8 ml 1 desert spoon
1 Grain 65 mg 1 table spoon
15 ml 1 table spoon
1 Fluid ounce 30 ml 2 table spoon
½ pint 330 ml Tumbler
Drug dose calculation
1) How many ml of 1:10,000 solution would
you need to obtain 1mg of Adrenaline
2) Express the quantity in mg of 0.25ml , 1 %
Bupivacaine in a 20ml vial
How many mg of bupivacaine present in 0.25
ml of 1% bupivacaine vial
3) What is the quantity of mannitol in 60 ml
formulation of 20% mannitol
4) Calculate the quantity of salbutamol present
per
ml of formulation of 0.5%
5) Calculate creatinine clearance in a person
whose age is 65 years and weight =50 kgs
serum creatinine = 0.82 mg/dL
creatinine clearance=[140-Age] x weight in
kg
(ml/min) 72X sr creat. (mg/dL)
For females, multiply answer by 0.85
6)How many micrograms of adrenaline (1:
200000) are there in 30 ml vial of 2%
lignocaine (xylocaine)
7) Prepare a solution of dopamine to infuse
per minute in a 50kg man using an infusion
pump.
The dose of dopamine to be given is
4µg/kg/min
Dopamine Infusion (ml/min)
D= desired dose of DA (mcg/kg/min).
W= weight of the patient in Kg.
C= concentration of DA in infusion bottle
(mcg/ml).
Infusion rate (ml/min)= D x W / C
A patient is ordered to start an IV Dopamine drip at 5mcg/kg/min. The patient
weighs 57kg. You have a bag of Dopamine that reads 400mg/250mL. What will you
set the IV pump drip rate (mL/hr) at?
•A. 12 mL/hr
•B. 10.7 mL/hr
•C. 0.17 mL/hr
•D. 20.5 mL/hr
A patient is ordered to start an IV Dopamine drip at 2mcg/kg/min. The
patient weighs 90kg. You have a bag of Dopamine that reads 400mg/250mL.
What will you set the IV pump drip rate (mL/hr) at?
•A. 15 mL/hr
•B. 0.11 mL/hr
•C. 6.8 mL/hr
•D. 3 mL/hr
8) A child of weight 10kg is suffering from vivax malaria. He has been
prescribed syrup chloroquine [1 bottle of 60 ml, each ml contains
10 mg of chloroquine base]. The initial dose of chloroquine is
10mg/kg.
Calculate the amount of syrup in ml to be administered to the child.
Calculate the total amount of chloroquine present in the bottle
9) A person with 50kg body wt is to be given IV
thiopentone sodium in a dose of 3mg/kg body
wt. The strength of solution is 2.5%. What is
the volume of drug to be given
10) A man of wt 80kg has developed
hypovolemic shock. He needs to be given
dopamine IV at the rate of
2micrograms/kg/minute
Content of 1 ampoule(40mg/ml)
of dopamine is mixed and dissolved in 1
bottle(500ml) of 5% dextrose solution and an
infusion pump is set up. How much time is
required to infuse the entire content in the
bottle?
11)A patient with body wt 60kgs is to be dosed
0.3mg/kg body wt diazepam. A 10ml of
diazepam injection with strength 5mg/ml is
available. Calculate the volume of diazepam
sol that needs to be drawn from the vial and
administered to the patient
Dose calculations can be done based on body
weight and BSA
Weight based calculation is more popular
Based on weight Clark’s Formula
Child Dose = Body weight (Kg)
70 x Average adult dose (mg/kg)
Based on body surface area
Individual dose = Body surface area (m2)
1.73 X average adult
dose
Young’s formula
Child dose = Age in years
X Adult dose
Age +12
Dilling’s formula
Child dose = Age in years
X Adult dose
20
These formulae do not take into account all
the potential sources of PKs differences in
children.
It is always better to verify the calculated
dose with recommended dose mentioned by
the manufacturer on the drug label.
Adult dose should be used in children with
more than 55 kg of body weight and in those
who have achieved puberty.
Question 12
A Physician treating a 72 years old patient
weighing 60 kg with creatinine clearance of 50
ml / min, decided to start gentamycin (Normal
dose 3.5 mg/kg body weight) calculate the
appropriate dose for this patient?
Answer
Question 13
A 2 Year old child suffering from UTI needs Inj.
Amikacin sulphate. The normal adult dose is 250 mg.
what is the appropriate dose for the child according
to young’s formula?
Answer
Question 14
A Child weighing 11 kg suffering from LRTI,
requires Inj.Amoxicillin. The normal adult dose is
500 mg TID. Calculate the dose to be given for this
child?
Answer
