Dosage Calculations for Common Prescription Drugs

Heparin Sodium Dosage Calculation

The primary healthcare provider prescribes heparin sodium 5,000 units subcutaneously every 8 hours for a client with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The vial reads heparin sodium 7,500 units per 5 milliliters (mL). How many milliliters (mL) will the nurse administer to the client per dose? How many milliliters (mL) will the nurse administer total in a day? The nurse practitioner prescribes morphine sulfate 6 mg intravenous (IV) every four hours as needed (PRN) for pain. The morphine is available in a 8 mg/2 mL vial.  How many milliliters (mL) of this drug will the nurse administer to the client in each dose? A client with a history of schizophrenia is prescribed Risperdal (risperidone) 2.5 mg by mouth BID for maintenance therapy. The label reads 0.25 mg per orally-disintegrating tablet. How many tablets does the nurse administer per day? A client is prescribed Dobutamine (dobutrex) to be infused at 20 milliliter per hour (mL/hr). The client weighs 60 kg.  The available concentration of Dobutamine is 250 mg in 250 mL of D5W.  How many micrograms per kilogram per minute (mcg/kg/min) of Dobutamine is infusing? The primary healthcare provider prescribes Sodium Nitroprusside (Nipride) to infuse at 90 mL per hour. The client weighs 80 kg.  The available concentration is 50 mg of Nipride in 250 mL of D5W.  How many micrograms per kilogram per minute (mcg/kg/min) of Nipride is infusing? The prescription reads Benadryl (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) 45 mg intramuscular (IM) every 6 hours PRN. The vial for Benadryl states 50 mg/mL. How many milliliters (mL) would you administer per dose? A client who weighs 120 pounds is prescribed the antibiotic drug Cleocin (clindamycin) 8mg/kg/day divided into 3 equal doses. How many grams of the medication will the client receive over the 7 day period? The client is prescribed 4 units of platelets (200 mL) to infuse in 2 hours. The tubing drip rate is 15 drops per milliliter (gtt/mL). At what rate in drops/minute (gtt/min) would the nurse set the pump to complete the infusion in 2 hours? The primary healthcare provider has prescribed ticarcillin (Ticar) 600 mg intramuscular (IM) every 4 hours.  The available dose and reconstitution instructions are: Add 2 milliliters (mL) sterile water for injection to make ticarcillin 1 g per 2.6 mL.  How much would the nurse give in milliliter (mL)?