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DOSING - UNITS and CONVERSIONS

Accurate dosing is especially important to patients that are sensitive to the therapeutic index . The dosages may vary in the metric system. Hence, conversions of the units is important for accurate therapeutic dosing and management.

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DOSING - UNITS and CONVERSIONS

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  1. DOSING - UNITS and CONVERSIONS PRESENTED : DR. AYESHA ASIF ALI CLINICAL PHARMACIST DEPT. OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

  2. WHAT IS A DOSE? The term "dose" refers to a specified amount of medication taken at one specific time. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), drug doses are expressed in metric mass units For example, milligrams (mg) or milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). Some drugs, such as insulin or heparin, may be prepared as mixtures. For that reason, they have no specific molecular weight and can't be described in mass units.1 There are a few exceptions, though. Liquid medications for the eyes and ears are sometimes measured in drops. Some medications are measured in grains. And other medications are dispensed using apothecary system measurements like teaspoonfuls, ounces, or drams. However, these are rare.1

  3. Examples of Dose Different types of Paracetamol (acetaminophen), for example, come in different doses. The type and dose you choose depend on the condition being treated. Here are some different Paracetamol doses: For adults and children 12 years and over, a single dose of Extra Strength Paracetamol is 1,000 mg (one tablet ) of acetaminophen . For adults and children 12 years and over, a single dose of Paracetamol Regular Strength is 650 mg (one tablet ) of acetaminophen .

  4. WHAT IS A DOSAGE? The AMA defines a dosageas how to take or give a medication as prescribed. "Dosage" is a much broader term than "dose." Itinvolves a specific amount, number, and frequency of doses over a specific period of time. Examples of Dosage - Here are some different Tylenol dosages: Adults 12 years and over: For minor aches and pains, take one tablet of Regular Strength Paracetamol every four to six hours as needed. Do not take more than 6 tablets in 24 hours. Adults 12 years and over: For more severe aches and pains, take one Extra Strength Paracetamol Tablet every six hours as needed. Do not take more than four tablets per day.

  5. The antibiotic eye medication ofloxacin is taken in drops. One course of ofloxacin is seven to nine days, depending on the indication prescribed by your healthcare provider. For bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye), dosage instructions for OFLOXACIN look like this: Days 1 and 2:Use one to two drops every two to four hours in the affected eye(s). Days 3 through 7:Use one to two drops four times daily

  6. Comparison: • The words "dose" and "dosage" don't mean the same thing. • A doseis an amount of medication you take at one time. • Doses are usually measured in metric mass units such as milligrams. • The dosageis a set of instructions for how to take the medication. • It includes how much to take, when to take it, and how long to take it.

  7. WHY DO WE NEED TO CONVERT DOSES ? To minimise the number of errors caused by miscalculating dose, volume or rate of administration we must be familiar with use and application of mathematical formulae

  8. UNIT CONVERSIONS Many calculations require different volumes or weights to be converted into the same unit or value. To convert larger units to smaller the larger is multiplied: • Kilograms (kg) to grams (g) = kg x 1,000; • Grams to milligrams (mg) = g x 1,000; • Milligrams to micrograms (mcg) = mg x 1,000; • Micrograms to nanograms (ng) = mcg x 1,000; • Litres (L) to millilitres (ml) = L x 1,000.

  9. UNIT CONVERSIONS To convert smaller units to larger the smaller is divided: • Grams to kilograms = g/1,000; • Milligrams to grams = mg/1,000; • Micrograms to milligrams = mcg/1,000; • Nanograms to micrograms = ng/1,000; • Millilitres to litres = ml/1000.

  10. OTHER SYSTEMS OF MEASUREMENT Milliequivalent (mEq) The milliequivalent is an expression of the number of grams of a medication contained in 1 milligram of a solution. Examples: the measure of serum sodium, serum potassium, and sodium bicarbonate is given in milliequivalents. Unit (U) Unit measures a medication in terms of its action, not its physical weight. When documenting, do not write “U” for unit, rather spell it as “unit” as it is often mistaken as “0”. Examples: Insulin, penicillin, and heparinsodium are measured in units.

  11. Some Medications are measured in International Units (example: Insulin, Penicillin, Heparin, etc.) The unit measures the medication’s action not its weight. To write the unit that you want , use Numerals followed by the letter U. Example: 2000U, 4000U ( Commas are used only if there are at least 5 digits example: 45,000U)

  12. Example If the label shows 4ml Heparin Sodium Injection, USP 10,000 units per ml. Reading the label, answer the following questions: 1. What is the total volume of the vial? Answer: 4ml 2. What is the dosage strength? Answer: 10,000 U/ml 3. If a volume of 1.5ml is prepared, how many units will this be? Answer: 15,000U 4. How many ml will you need to prepare a dosage of 55,000U?

  13. THANK YOU

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