Basic / Med Math Questions & Answers| Ultimate Guide for Your Assignments

Basic / Med Math Questions

1. Problem type: Unit conversion + Dosage calculation
Medication: Fish oil, @ home

PROBLEM

Mr. Larsen’s general practitioner advised him to take 2 g of fish oil per day. The capsules Mr. Larsen
purchased are 1,000 mg.

How many fish oil capsules should he take each day?HINT

There are 1000 mg in one gram.SAMPLE

SOLUTION

1. Convert the doctor’s recommendation of 2 grams into milligrams.

2 g x 1000 mg = 2000 mg
1g

2. Determine how many fish oil capsules Mr. Larsen should take to ingest 2000 mg.

1 capsule x 2000 mg = 2 capsules
1000 mg



ANSWER

Number: 2
Units: capsules

,2. Problem type: Dosage calculation
Medication: Tramadol @ home

PROBLEM

Before his surgery, Mr. Larsen was taking tramadol, prescribed as 50 mg by mouth every 6 hours as
needed for pain.

If he took every available dose in a 24-hour period, how many mg of tramadol would he ingest?

HINT

Start by figuring out how many doses Mr. Larsen would take in a single day.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

1. Determine how many times in 24 hours Mr. Larsen took a dose.

24 hours x 1 dose = 4 doses6
hours

2. Multiply the number of doses by the number of milligrams per dose.

4 doses x 50 mg = 200 mg
1 dose

ANSWER

Number: 200
Units: mg

, 3. Problem type: Dosage calculation + Stock on hand
Medication: Atorvastatin @ hospital

PROBLEM

While in the hospital, the orders call for Mr. Larsen to take atorvastatin 20 mg, 1 tab, by mouth once
a day. However, the pharmacy only carries 10 mg tablets.

How many tablets of atorvastatin should be administered to him?HINT

You can use the equation below, where X is the number of tablets that should beadministered.

D (ordered dose) x Quantity = XH
(dose on hand)

SAMPLE SOLUTION

1. Determine what information you have.

D (ordered dose) = 20 mg H
(dose on hand) = 10 mg Q
(quantity) = 1 tablet

2. Plug into the equation and solve.

D (20 mg) x 1 tablet = X H
(10 mg)

X = 2 tablets

ANSWER

Number: 2
Units: tablets