Numeracy and Drug Calculations Questions - Healthcare Module

This assignment provides a comprehensive set of drug calculation problems and their solutions, designed for healthcare professionals and students in related fields. The document covers a range of essential calculations, including dosage conversions, volume calculations, and determining medication quantities based on prescribed doses and available stock concentrations. Each problem is presented with a clear solution, demonstrating the steps required to arrive at the correct answer. The assignment includes questions involving various medications such as penicillin, heparin, morphine, vancomycin, pethidine, diazepam, furosemide, chlorpromazine, tramadol, and fluoxetine. It also incorporates basic mathematical operations like conversions between units (mg, g, mcg, ml, L) and solving simple arithmetic problems. The problems are structured to reflect real-world scenarios encountered in clinical practice, making it a valuable resource for enhancing numeracy skills and ensuring safe medication administration. This resource is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and past papers for students.

NUMERACY AND DRUG CALCULATIONS
QUESTIONS 30
1. A mixture contains penicillin 250mg/5ml. How many milligrams of
penicillin are in 12.5ml?
(250mg/5ml*12.5ml= 625mg)
2. Heparin 20,000 units subcutaneous is prescribed. Stock ampoules
contain 25,000 units/5ml. What volume in ml should be drawn up?
(5ml/25000units*20000units= 4ml)
3. How much morphine in ml must be drawn up for a 7.5 mg dose if a
stock ampoule contains 15mg in 1 ml?
(1ml/15mg*7.5mg= 0.5ml)
4. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following: Prescribed:
penicillin 500mg: Available: syrup 125mg/5ml.
(5ml/125mg*500mg= 20ml)
5. Convert the following: 85ml to L.
(85ml/1000= 0.085L)
6. A patient is prescribed vancomycin 900 mg to be given
intravenously. What is the volume of stock in ml that must be drawn
up if each ampoule contains vancomycin 1g per 10ml?
(10ml/1000mg*900mg= 9ml)
7. A patient is prescribed 150mg of pethidine. The stock dose is
60mg/2ml ampoule. What volume in ml will you require?
(2ml/60mg*150mg= 5ml)

8. A mixture contains Penicillin 250mg/5ml. How many milligrams of
penicillin are in 15ml?
(250mg/5ml*15ml= 750mg)
9. Tom is prescribed 12.5mg of diazepam, orally. The stock available is
5mg.How many tablets should be given?
(12.5mg/5mg= 2.5 tablets)
10. Convert the following: 0.0475g to mcg.
(0.0475g*1000000= 47500mcg)
11. Solve the following: 1x3.
(1X3= 3)
12. A patient is prescribed Furosemide 60mg, orally. In the ward
are 40mg tablets. How many tablets should be given?
(60 mg ÷ 40 mg = 1.5 or 1½ tablets)

13. Solve the following: 6.5 -2.5
(6.5 - 2.5 = 4.0)
14. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following:
Prescribed: chlorpromazine 35mg, available: syrup 25mg/5ml.
(35 mg/5 mL ÷ 5 = 5 mg/mL x 25 mL = 150 mg)
15. Convert the following: 10500mg to g.
(10500mg to 10.5g)
16. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following:
Prescribed Tramadol hydrochloride 75mg, available:100mg/2ml.
(100 mg ÷ 2 = 50 mg/mL; 80 mg ÷ 50 mg/mL = 1.6 mL)

17. A patient is prescribed vancomycin 850mg to be given
intravenously. What is the volume of stock in ml that must be drawn
up if each ampoule contains vancomycin 1g per 10ml?
(1 g = 1000 mg; 1000 mg ÷ 10 = 100 mg/mL; 850 mg ÷ 100 mg/mL =
8.5 mL)
18. Solve the following: 14 x 17?
(14X17= 238)
19. Heparin 12,000 units subcutaneous is prescribed. Stock
ampoules contain 25,000 units/5ml. What volume in ml should be
drawn?
(25,000 units ÷ 5 = 5,000 units/mL; 12,000 units ÷ 5000 units/mL = 2.4
mL)
20. A solution of contains Fluoxetine 20mg/5ml. How many
milligrams are in 10ml?
(20 mg/5mL ÷ 5 = 4 mg/mL x 40 mL = 120 mg)

21. A solution of contains Fluoxetine 20mg/5ml. How many
milligrams are in 25ml?
(20 mg/5mL ÷ 5 = 4 mg/mL x 25 mL = 100 mg)
22. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following:
Prescribed: Paracetamol 180mg, available; suspension 120mg/5ml.
(120 mg/5 mL ÷ 5 = 24 mg/mL; 180 ÷ 24 = 7.5 ml)
23. A mixture contains penicillin 250mg/5ml. How many
milligrams of penicillin are in 25ml?
(250 mg/5 mL ÷ 5 = 50 mg/mL x 25 mL = 1250 mg)
24. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following,
prescribed: Buscopan 0.18mg, available: 0.4mg/2ml.
(0.4 mg ÷ 2 = 0.2 mg/mL; 0.18 mg ÷ 0.2 mg/mL = 0.9 ml)
25. Pethidine 60mgs is to be given intramuscularly. What is the
volume of stock in ml that must be drawn up each ampoule contains
pethidine 100mg in 2ml?
(100 mg ÷ 2 = 50 mg/mL; 60 mg ÷ 50 mg/mL = 1.2 ml)
26. Calculate the volume in ml to be given in the following:
prescribed: Erythromycin 650mg, available mixture 125mg/5ml.
(125 mg ÷ 5 = 25 mg/mL; 650 mg ÷ 25 mg/mL = 26 ml)
27. Solve 56 divide by 8.
(56÷8=7)
28. Convert the following: 10.75mcg to mg.

(0.01075)
29. A patient is prescribed 80 mg of Tramadol Hydrochloride
injection. The stock dose is 50mg/2ml. What volume in ml will you
require?
(50 mg ÷ 2 = 25 mg/mL; 80 mg ÷ 25 mg/mL = 3.2 ml)
30. A solution of contains Fluoxetine 20mg /5ml. How many
milligrams are 40ml?
(20 mg/5 mL ÷ 5 = 4 mg/mL x 40 mL = 160 mg).