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Drug calculations
About drug calculations
The intravenous administration of medications is a common practice. Many drugs are
titrated based on the patient’s physiologic response to the medication or according to
the patient’s weight. Accuracy and safety are always important in drug therapy, and
precise control of drug administration is essential. The drug calculator provides an
accurate and safe method of determining drug dosage.
An order for a medication is either written by the physician or is a standing protocol
in the unit based on the patient’s condition. The order will specify the drug and the
dose to be administered. The clinician and/or pharmacy will mix the drug in solution,
and then determine how fast to administer the drug in order to deliver the proper
drug dosage.
Neonates present a different approach to drug administration because the amount
of fluid to be administered is vital. Usually, the drug dosage is ordered and the flow
rate in ml/h or cc/hr is prescribed. The clinician must determine the amount of drug to
place in the solution in order to meet the rate/dose combination.
In other cases, the physician may order a drug dosage to be infused over a period of
time. The amount of drug in solution may or may not be specified. In this situation,
the clinician must determine the rate that is needed to infuse the proper drug dosage
over the period of time ordered.
Still another situation occurs in cases where drugs are administered to resuscitate the
patient, and then the dose is determined after the response. The clinician considers
the solution volumes and drug quantities and the rate of the infusion to determine the
dose that the patient is actually receiving.
The drug calculator can be used in all of these situations. In addition, it also provides a
titration table that can be used as the dosages are increased or decreased, based
on the patient’s physiologic response. The titration table displays drug dosage
information that can be used to help the clinician determine the dosing effects of
intravenous pump setting and infusion rate changes.
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