Medication Dosage Calculation
Yes, if a medication is dosed as 10mg/5ml and you want the patient to take 10mg, they would drink 5ml. This is the correct calculation for liquid medication dosing 1.
Understanding Medication Concentration
- Medication concentration refers to the amount of active ingredient per unit volume 2
- When a medication is labeled as 10mg/5ml, this means:
- 10mg of medication is contained in 5ml of liquid
- Each ml contains 2mg of medication (10mg ÷ 5ml = 2mg/ml) 3
- To calculate the volume needed for a specific dose:
- Divide the desired dose by the concentration per ml
- For 10mg dose: 10mg ÷ (10mg/5ml) = 5ml 2
Importance of Accurate Measurement
- Dosing errors are common with liquid medications, particularly when inappropriate measuring devices are used 4, 5
- Using household spoons (teaspoons or tablespoons) can lead to significant dosing errors and should be avoided 3, 2
- The American Academy of Pediatrics and FDA recommend using standardized measuring instruments such as oral syringes, calibrated dosing spoons, or medicine cups 6
Recommended Measuring Devices (in order of accuracy)
- Oral syringes have the lowest error rates (4% error rate) and are the most precise for measuring liquid medications 6
- Calibrated dosing spoons also have low error rates (4.5%) 6
- Medicine cups with printed calibrations have higher error rates (37-43%) and should be used with caution 4, 6
- Household teaspoons or tablespoons should never be used due to high variability 3, 5
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Confusing teaspoons (tsp) with tablespoons (tbsp) on measuring devices 3
- Misreading calibration marks on dosing cups, especially when not viewed at eye level 4
- Using household utensils instead of calibrated measuring devices 5
- Failing to check that the measuring device matches the concentration of the medication 2
Remember that accurate medication dosing is critical for therapeutic effectiveness and patient safety, especially for medications with narrow therapeutic windows 5.