Dosage calculation week 81. Zyprexa comes as a powder that must be reconstituted prior to administration. The package instructions direct
you to add 2.1 mL of sterile water to administer injections of up to 10 mg. The user is directed to refer to the table
for injection volumes and doses. Refer to the label for the medication and the dosage table below.
What is the dosage strength of the entire vial?
2. Zyprexa comes as a powder that must be reconstituted prior to administration. The package instructions direct
you to add 2.1 mL of sterile water to administer injections of up to 10 mg. The user is directed to refer to the table
for injection volumes and doses. Refer to the label for the medication and the dosage table below.
How many mL of dilutant will you add to mix the vial?
3. Zyprexa comes as a powder that must be reconstituted prior to administration. The package instructions direct
you to add 2.1 mL of sterile water to administer injections of up to 10 mg. The user is directed to refer to the table
for injection volumes and doses. Refer to the label for the medication and the dosage table below.
How many mLs would you draw up for a 2.5 mg dose?
4. Order: 0.2 g of a medication IV QID
Available: 500 mg of the medication in powdered form that states to add 8 mL of dilutent to yield a solution of
500 mg/8 mL.
How many mL will you draw up to administer 0.2 g after reconstitution?
5. For enteral nutrition, the feeding is delivered over a period of time and is infused via a pump. After the feeding,
the nurse is to flush the tubing with water. You would determine the rate of the feeding the same way you
determine the rate of an IV infusing via pump. The water is used to flush the tubing after the feeding has infused.
Order: Ensure 480 mL by NG tube over 8 hours. Follow with 100 mL of water after each feeding. At what rate
will you set the pump?
6. At times, you must administer feedings that are diluted so they are not full strength before administering. To
calculate this, there are 2 steps:
1. Ordered solution strength X amount of desired solution=Solute (liquid to be dissolved)
2. Amount of desired solution-solute=amount of Solvent (liquid needed to dissolve the solute)
Order: 2/3 strength Sustical 300 mL po QID
How much sustical will you need to mix with water for the whole day?
7. Order: 2/3 strength Sustical 300 mL po QID
How many mL of water will you mix with the sustical to prepare the feedings for the whole day?
8. There are times when you will have to dilute cleaning solutions to use as a topical solution or as an irrigation
liquid.
The formula is the same as when you are calculating dilution of feedings.
Order: Using full strength hydrogen peroxide solution, prepare 180 mL of 1/4 strength hydrogen peroxide
solution diluted with normal saline for wound care.
How much hydrogen peroxide will you need to mix this solution?
9. There are times when you will have to dilute cleaning solutions to use as a topical solution or as an irrigation
liquid.
The formula is the same as when you are calculating dilution of feedings.
Order: Using full strength hydrogen peroxide solution, prepare 180 mL of 1/4 strength hydrogen peroxide
solution diluted with normal saline for wound care.
How must saline will you use to prepare this solution?
10. The order states to irrigate a sacral wound with 1/3 strength hydrogen peroxide and normal saline TID. 75 mL of
solution is needed for each irrigation. You are preparing solution for the entire day.
How many mL of solution will you be preparing?
11. The order states to irrigate a sacral wound with 1/3 strength hydrogen peroxide and normal saline TID. 75 mL of
solution is needed for each irrigation. You are preparing solution for the entire day.
How much hydrogen peroxide will you use to create this solution?
12. The order states to irrigate a sacral wound with 1/3 strength hydrogen peroxide and normal saline TID. 75 mL of
solution is needed for each irrigation. You are preparing solution for the entire day.
How much saline will you use to create this solution?
13. Solution strength=# if grams per 100 mL.
Please refer to the included sheet of instructions for definitions of the different types of IV solutions.
How many grams of dextrose are in 500 mL of D5W?
14. How many grams of sodium chloride in 1000 mL of NS
15. How many grams of dextrose are in 1000 mL of D5 1/2 NS?
16. How many milligrams of sodium5 chloride are in 1000 mL of D5 1/2 NS?
17. During your 12-hour shift from 7p – 7a what is your patient’s INTAKE? (Measure in mls)
2000-0600 Jevity (tube feeding) 50 mL/hr
0615: 50 mL free water flush
2100-0215: Two 250 mL of red blood cells
0115: 20 mL saline flush IV
0300: Zosyn IV 50 mL
0400: 10 mL saline flush IV
Continuous fluids: Heparin 10 mL/hr & Normal Saline 100 mL/hr
Ileostomy: 300 mL
NG suction: 50 mL
Urine: 1850 mL
Wound vac: 100 mL
18. During your 12-hour shift from 7p – 7a what is your patient’s OUTPUT measured in mLs?
2000-0600 Jevity (tube feeding) 50 mL/hr
0615: 50 mL free water flush
2100-0215: Two 250 mL of red blood cells
0115: 20 mL saline flush IV
0300: Zosyn IV 50 mL
0400: 10 mL saline flush IV
Continuous fluids: Heparin 10 mL/hr & Normal Saline 100 mL/hr
Ileostomy (liquid drainage): 300 mL
NG suction: 50 mL
Urine: 1850 mL
Wound vac: 100 mL
19. Calculate the patients INTAKE during your 12-hour shift:
0800: Two pieces of toast, 2 cups of oatmeal, 1 egg, 12 oz orange juice—
1000: Two 8 oz of coffee w/ 2 oz of cream in each—
1100: 24 oz of ice chips—
1200: IV infusion of Zosyn 50 mL, 2 mL IV push Zofran and 10 mL saline IV flush—
1230: house salad, 12 oz soda—
1400: One pack of red blood cells (250 mL)—
1500: 2 mL Morphine and 10 mL saline flush IV—
1715: 10 mL saline flush IV—
1600-1900: Normal Saline IV 100 mL/hr
20. How many milliliters are in 7 ounces?
IV solutions are a mix of sterile water and vitamins, electrolytes, carbohydrates or lipids. The solution
strength is written as a percentage. The percentage is equal to the number of grams of solute (the
substance dissolved in water) per 100 mL.
IV solutions
Abbreviation
NS
½ NS
D5W
D5RL
RL or LR
D5NS
D5 ½ NS
Full list of ingredients
Normal saline=0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl)
½ strength normal saline (0.45% NaCl)
5% dextrose in water
5% dextrose in lactated Ringer’s or Ringers Lactate
Ringers lactate or Lactated Ringers
Dextrose 5% in Normal saline (0.9% NaCl)
5% dextrose in ½ normal saline (0.45% NaCl)
Calculating intake and output
What counts as intake?
Intake is any fluid that a patient takes in orally, by feeding tube or parenterally. Any fluid or solid that
turns to liquid in the body (jello or popsicles) counts as intake. Intake does not include anything that
remains solid in the body such as bread, oatmeal, vegetables or meats.
IV maintenance fluids, IV push medications, IV flushes count as intake.
Items such as ice chips and popsicles are counted as ½ of their volume since they are less volume when
melted. So 12 ounces of ice chips would be 6 ounces of water.
What counts as output?
Any liquid that comes out of the body counts as output. Urine, blood, vomit all count as output. If a
patient is attached to gastric suction, that volume counts as output as well. Drainage from an ileostomy
or nephrostomy also count as output.
Intake and output are measured in milliliters. You may see items counted as cc’s. A cc is a cubic
centimeter, which is equal to a milliliter.