LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

WORKSHOPS & TUTORIALS:

VIDEOS:
http://www.YouTube.com/user/ellsmdx
http://www.YouTube.com/user/ldumdx
These videos are useful because you can play them over again.

BOOKS:
Gatford, JD. and Phillips, N. 2008. Nursing Calculations. Churchill Livingstone.
This is a good book to start with. It is easy to read and has lots of exercises to
work from.

WEBSITES:
www.testandcalc.com
This site has nursing calculation quizzes with answers that you can access
immediately no need to download.

www.snap.nhs.uk
This site is free and has a mixture of numeracy and nursing calculation
quizzes

EMAIL: [email protected]

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 4 6 8 10121416 18 20 22 24 x1000 x1000 x1000
3 9 1215182124 27 30 33 36
4 1620242832 36 40 44 48
5 25303540 45 50 55 60 Microgram
Kilogram Gram Milligram
6 364248 54 60 66 72
7 4956 63 70 77 84 kg g mg mcg
8 64 72 80 88 96
9 81 90 99 108
10 100 110120 :1000 :1000 :1000
11 121132
12 144

....................................................................................

/ 1000
x 2 : 2
Volume

500
DOSAGEBASEDONBODYWEIGHT
x 2 : 2
TotalDailyDose=patientsweightxdose 250
: 2
SingleDose


x 2

125
INFUSION RATES
x 2 : 2
mL/hr 62.5


drop/min

....................................................................................
BIG to small multiply (x) Small to BIG divide ()
Tomultiplyby Movethedecimalpoint Todivideby Movethedecimalpoint
1000 3placestotheright 1000 3placestotheleft
100 2placestotheright 100 2placestotheleft
10 1placetotheright 10 1placetotheleft
0.3824x1000=382.4 57131000=5.713
0.3824x100=38.24 5713100=57.13
0.3824x10=3.824 571310=571.3

0.2 0.4 0.5 50% 0.25 25%

0.6 0.8 0.75 75% 1.5 150%

Youcancutandlaminatetheseintopocketsizedremindercards

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

EasyWaystoDealwithDifficultNumberCalculations


Halvingfractions

Thisisreallyusefulifyouhavelarge,evennumbers.
Ifyouhalvethetopnumberandthenhalvethebottomnumberas
wellyoucangettotheanswerquitequicklywithouttheneedfor
schooltypedivision.
Heresanexamplethatworkswell

= = = =125

Heresanexamplethatdoesntwork whynot?

Doublingfractions

Thisisgoodforgettingridof.5inafraction.Ifyoudoublethetop
numberandthendoublethebottomnumberaswellyoucanthen
workwithnicewholenumbers.
Heresanexamplethatworkswell

.
= =5
.

.
Heresanexamplethatdoesntwork whynot?
.

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

Movingthedecimalpointbymultiplyingby10or100
Thisisusefulwhendoublingandhalvingwonthelp.Youcanmultiply
thetopandbottomnumberby10whichwillmovethedecimalpoint
1placetotheright.
Heresanexample
.
= = =0.75
.

Hereare2exampleswhereyoucanmultiplyby100

. .
= =3 1.5
. .

Usingapproximations
Thisisgreatifyouarenotsurewherethedecimalpointshouldgo.In
factitisaveryimportantskilltolearnasitcanguideyoutochecking
whetheryouranswerissensible.
Heresanexample
318.75 1.97
Roundthesenumberstomoresimple,easytoworkwithonestoget
anapproximateanswer 3202=160

Thisistheroughguidetoyourcalculation.
Theactualansweris161.8(1dp)soifyougot1.618or16.618you
knowthisiswrongandhavethedecimalpointinthewrongplace.

Heresanotherexample 0.45x500
Round0.45to0.5andrememberthat0.5isahalf( )
Halfof500=250

Theactualansweris225NOT2.5or25.
Alwayscheckthedecimalpoint.

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

EquationsforInfusionRates,TimeandVolume
(mlperhour)

R=therate(speed)thatfluidentersthepatientsbody,measuredinml/hour.
V=thevolumeoffluidthepatientistoreceive(ml).T=runningtimeforthe
infusion(hours).

Example:1litreoffluidistobegivenover8hours.Whatistherateinmlper
hour?

R= =

1000 500 250

Example:Apatientistoreceive1litreoffluidatarateof125ml/hour.How
longwillthisinfusiontake?

T= = /
=hours

1000
8
125 /

Example:Aninfusionoffluidhasbeenrunningfor8hoursatarateof
125ml/hour.Howmuchfluidhasbeeninfused?

V=RxT= x =ml

125x8=1000ml=1Litre

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

InfusionRates

Whenthedropfactoris15wehave...

Whenthedropfactoris20wehave...

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

DrugCalculationsPractice1
1) Youhave450mcgofDigoxin,howmanymgisthis?

2) Howmanymicrogramsaretherein0.06milligrams?

3) Thedoctorprescribes500mgofFlucloxacillin.Thebottle
youhavecontains200mgin1ml.Howmanymldoyou
give?

4) 1.5gofParacetamolisprescribed.Thedrugisavailablein
500mgtablets.Howmanytabletsdoyougive?

5) Mrs.Xweighs70kg.Ithasbeendecidedtogiveher
6mg/kg/doseofIbuprofen.Workoutthedosetobegiven.

6) Mrs.BneedsParacetamol,20mg/kg/day(infourdivided
doses).Sheis46yearsoldandweighs80kg.Workoutthe
singledosetobegiven.

7) Apatientisgiven1.5litresofDextrose5%over4hours.How
manygramsofDextrosedotheyreceive?

8) Apatientisgiven1.5litresofDextrose5%over4hours.
Whatistherateinmlperhour?

9) 600mloffluidistobegivenover4hours.Whatisthe
infusionrate(dropsperminute)ifthedropfactoris15?

10) 2litresofnormalsalineistobeinfusedin10hours.The
givingsetdelivers20drops/ml.Howmanydrops/ministhis?

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

DrugCalculationsPractice1Answers

1)0.45mg

2)60mcg

3) 2.5ml

4)1.5g=1500mg 3tablets

5)70x6=420mg

6)20x80=1600and 400mg

7) 75g

8) 375ml/hr

9) = 37.5
Roundedupto38drops/min

10) 66.6

Roundedupto67drops/min

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

DrugCalculationsPractice2

Convertthesevalues:

1)270mcgtomg=2)7.6gtomg=

Calculatethenumberofmillilitresrequired:

3)Penicillin60mgprescribed,100mgdispensedin5ml

4)Phenergan4mgprescribed,10mgdispensedin2ml

5)Insulin60unitsprescribed,20unitsdispensedin5ml

Calculatetheinfusionrate:

6) 800mlofdextrosetobegivenover4hours.
a) Whatistherateinml/hour?
b) Whatistherateindropsperminuteifthedropfactoris15?

7) 2litresofsalinetobegivenover12hours.
a) Whatistherateinmlperhour?
b) Whatistherateindrops/minuteifthedropfactoris20?

Calculatethedosebasedonweight:

8) Ababyis2daysoldandrequirespenicillinIV.Sheweighs4kgandhasbeen
prescribed3mg/kg/dayinthreedivideddoses.Thepenicillincomesas5mg
in1ml.

a) Workoutthetotaldailydoseforthebaby.
b) Whatisthesingledose?
c) Howmanymlshouldbegivenateachdose?

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

DrugCalculationsPractice2Answers

1)0.27mg

2)7600mg

3) 3ml

4) 0.8ml

5) 15ml

6) a) 200ml/hr

b) 200 50drops/minute

7) a) 166.6
Roundedupto167ml/hr

b) =55.5
Roundedupto56drops/minute

8) a)4x3=12mgforthetotaldailydose

b) 4mgforthesingledose

c) 0.8ml

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 LET - Maths, Stats & Numeracy

NursingGlossary
MostoftheseabbreviationsoriginatefromLatin,asitusedtobethelanguageofmedicine.

3/12old3monthsold,asthereare12monthsinayear
2/7fortwodays,astherearesevendaysinaweek
4/52forfourweeks,asthereare52weeksinayear
BDbisdietwiceaday,
Crystalloidsareclearfluidssuchassalineordextrosesolutions.
gttguttaedrops
IMori/mintramusculardirectlyintothemuscle
IVori/vintravenousdirectlyintothevein
o.d.orODomneindieoncedaily
o.m.ormaneomnemaneeverymorning
o.n.ornocteomnenocteeverynight
p.c.postcibumaftermeals
poperosbymouthororally
postoppostoperativeaftersurgery
preoppreoperativebeforesurgery
prnprorenatatakeasneeded
qadquaquealternisdieeveryotherday,
qdquaquedieeveryday
QDSquaterindiefourtimesperday
qhquaquehoraeveryhour
SCors/csubcutaneousundertheskin
Statstatumimmediately
TDDtotaldailydose
TDSterdiesumendusthreetimesdaily
Formoreabbreviationspleasevisit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_abbreviations_used_in_medical_prescript
ions
http://www.jdmd.com/glossary/medabbr.pdf

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