Calculators
Dosage calculator for nurses
To find how much to give, divide the dose ordered (D) by the dose on hand (H) and multiply by the quantity it comes in (Q). For a weight-based order, multiply the mg/kg by the weight in kilograms first. For example, 15 mg/kg for a 22 lb (10 kg) child is 150 mg, and from a liquid with 160 mg per 5 mL that’s 4.69 mL.
mg to mL calculator
To convert mg to mL, divide the dose in mg by the mg on the label and multiply by the label’s mL. For example, 250 mg from a liquid labeled 125 mg per 5 mL is 250 ÷ 125 × 5 = 10 mL. You always need the label’s concentration, because mg measures weight and mL measures volume.
IV drip rate calculator
For a pump, divide the total volume in mL by the time in hours to get mL/hr. For gravity tubing, multiply the volume in mL by the drop factor and divide by the time in minutes to get drops per minute (gtt/min), then round to the nearest whole drop.
Military time converter
To convert a morning time to military time, drop the colon and add a leading zero, so 6:30 AM is 0630. For an afternoon or evening time, drop the colon and add 1200, so 7:15 PM is 1915. Noon is 1200 and midnight is 0000.
References
Order of draw
Draw blood culture bottles first, then the citrate (light blue) tube, then serum tubes, then heparin, then EDTA, and the fluoride (gray) tube last. This order keeps the additive in one tube from contaminating the next.
Medical terminology list
Most medical terms are built from three kinds of word parts. A prefix at the start changes the meaning, a root names the body part, and a suffix at the end names a condition or procedure, so gastr (stomach) plus -itis (inflammation) makes gastritis.
Medical abbreviations
Medical abbreviations are shorthand for common terms in charts and orders, such as BP for blood pressure, PRN for as needed and NPO for nothing by mouth. The Joint Commission bans a short list of abbreviations in medication orders, including U for unit, QD for daily and MS, because they’re easy to misread.
Dosage calculation formulas
Most dosage calculations use one of four setups. Divide the dose ordered by the dose on hand and multiply by the quantity, convert weight to kilograms for mg/kg orders, divide volume by hours for mL/hr, and multiply by the drop factor for drops per minute.