What is the apothecary and household systems?
The oldest of the medication measurement systems, apothecary includes measures such as grain, dram, minim, and ounce. Household includes: drop, teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, pint, and cup.
What is a milliequivalent (mEq)?
An expression of the number of grams a medication contained in 1 mL of a solution.
What does a unit measure? What medications are measured in unit?
Unit measures a mediation in terms of its action, not its physical weight. Ex: penicillin, heparin sodium, and insulin.
In the metric system, how do you convert larger to smaller? Smaller to larger?
Larger-to-smaller: multiply by 1000 or move the decimal point 3 places to the right
Smaller-to-larger: divide by 1000 or move the decimal point 3 places to the left
What are the 7 rights of medication administration?
right med, right dose, right pt, right route, right time, right reason, and right documentation,
1 mcg = ___________ g
0.000001 g
1 mg = ________ mcg or ________ g
1000 mcg or 0.001 g
1 g = ___________ mg
1000 mg
1 kg = __________ g
1000 g
1 kg = _______ lb.
2.2 lb.
1 ml = _______ L
0.001
What is needed for a med prescription?
1. Name of pt
2. Date/time when prescription was written
3. Name of med
4. Dose of med
5. Route of med
6. Time and frequency of med
7. Signature of the HCP prescribing the med
What types of medications should never be crushed and why?
Enteric-coated tablets and sustained-release capsules bc they delay absorption until the medication reaches the small intestines
What is the capacity of a medicine cup?
30 mL or 1 ounce
If the dose of a Rx liquid med is less than 4 ml, what should it be measured w/?
a syringe w/ the needle removed
What is the mL limit for an IM and SQ injections/
IM: no more than 3 ml per injection site (2 ml for the deltoid)
SQ: no more than 1 ml per injection site (larger amounts are difficult to absorb and need to be verified)
How should medications (ml) be rounded for adults?
to the nearest 10th
How much does a tuberculin syringe hold and what is it used for?
Holds 1 ml and is used to measure small or critical amounts of a medication such as allergen extract, vaccine, or a child's medication.
How does the standard 100-unit insulin syringe measure units?
100 units = 1 ml
What is the order for mixing regular and NPH insulin?
Regular (clear) to NPH (cloudy) or RN
What is dissolving a power medication into sterile water or NS called?
reconstitution
When should you question an oral prescription?
if it calls for more than 3 tabs
What is the standard formula for calculating a med dosage?
(D/A) x Q = med dose
D = (desired) dosage HCP Rx
A = (available) dose strength as stated on med label
Q = (quantity) the volume or form in which the dosage strength is available such as tabs, capsules, or milliliters
What are the formulas for the following?: drops per min (flow rate), infusion time, and number of ml per hr
Flow Rate: (total vol x drop factor) / (time in min) = drops per min
Infusion Time: (total vol to infuse) / (ml per hr being infused) = infusion time
Number of ml per hr: (total vol in ml) / (# of hrs.) = # of milliliters per hr.
Explain percentage solutions?
The number of grams (g) of a medication per 100 ml of a solution. For example, calcium gluconate 10% is 10 g of pure medication per 100 ml of solution.
Explain ratio solutions?
The number of grams of a medication per total milliliters of solution. For example, epinephrine 1:1000 is 1 g of pure medication per 1000 ml of solution.
True or false? The nurse can increase the rate of an IV infusion to catch up if the infusion is running behind schedule.
false (Never Do This! - collaborate w/ HCP to determine pt's ability to tolerate an increased flow rate)
What is most important to check for when a pt's IV rate is increased?
s/s of fluid overload
What are the common drop factors for a macro drip set?
10, 15 and 20 gtt per mL
What is the drop factor for a mini drip or micro drip set?
60 gtt per mL
Where can you find an IV tubing's drop factor?
written on the IV tubing package
What is the 2 step process for calculating unit infusion rates?
1. Determine the amt. of medication per 1 mL
2. Determine the infusion rate or mLs per hr.