Conversion problems: working with doses of medication

This is for my beginning algebra class. For some reason, the questions cover all medical stuff and I have no idea what to do, because I don't understand the terms. So, if you could help me, that'd be awesome! Thank you so much.

5) Synthyroid 150 mcg per day is ordered for a woman with hypothyroidism. It's supplied as 0.075mg/tab.

a) How many tablets should the woman take?

b) A safe dose of Synthyroid is 1.5mcg/kg/day. The woman weighs 196lbs. Is her dose safe? Why or why not?

6) Cephazolin 1gm IV is ordered 3 times per day for a patient with pneumonia. It is supplied in 100ml extrose and water, to run over 20 minutes.

a) How many drops per minute should be delivered if tubing with a drop factor of 15 (15 drops per ml) is used?

b) If a pump is available, how many mls per hour should the nurse set the pump to deliver?

Thanks so much for helping the mathematically illiterate ^_^

~Cait

If we're talking about real patients, I am reticent to answer your questions as it would be doing future patients a disservice. Hints. If you're going to be dealing with real patients, you must KNOW.

How do mg and mcg relate? What is the factor that relates them?

kg * 2.2 = lbs
196 lbs / 2.2 = 89 kg
Okay, now what?

"extrose"?

1 gm ??? Don't you mean ml? We'll have to know something about the density in order to make the conversion.

(1 ml / 20 min) * (15 drops / ml) = 0.75 drops/min = 1 drop / 45 sec

I am afraid. You have to be doing better than this. "Mathematically illeterate" is insufficient in the nursing business.

That's the thing!! I'm /NOT/ going anywhere near nursing field! Thats why I said, "For some reason, the questions cover all medical stuff and I have no idea what to do, because I don't understand the terms."

If I WERE going into nursing field, then obviously I WOULD know the terms.

(Just for curiosity's sake, I'm going into graphic arts, which is in no way related to nursing.)

#5 ... mcg is the abbreviation for a microgram, one-millionth of a gram.
mg is the abbreviation for milligram, one-thousandth of a gram.

1000 mcg = 1 mg

(a) (0.075 mg/tab)*(1000 mcg/mg) = 75 mcg/tab ... how many "tabs" should she take to get a dose of 150 mcg?

(b) as tkhunny pointed out, 196 lbs is equivalent to (196 lbs)/(2.2 lbs/kg), which is approx 89 kg. The safe dose would be (89 kg)*(1.5 mcg/kg per day) = approx 133 mcg per day. now, answer the question.

#6 ... (a) (100 mL)/(20 min) = 5 mL/min

(15 drops/mL)*(5 mL/min) = ?

(b) 5 mL/min = x mL/hr
(5 mL)/(1 min) = (x mL)/(60 min)

solve for x.