Dosage Calculation and Measurement Flashcards
6 cards from real QMAP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Dosage Calculation and Measurement flashcards as text
A physician orders 0.5 grams of a medication for a resident. The medication is only available in 250 mg tablets. How many tablets should the QMAP administer?
Answer: 2 tablets
The order is in grams, but the tablets are in milligrams. First, convert grams to milligrams. There are 1,000 milligrams (mg) in 1 gram (g). Therefore, 0.5 g is equal to 500 mg (0.5 x 1000). Next, divide the required dose (500 mg) by the strength of each tablet (250 mg), which equals 2. (500 mg / 250 mg = 2).
The Medication Administration Record (MAR) directs you to administer 15 mL of a liquid oral medication. Which of the following is the correct equivalent measurement to use?
Answer: 1 tablespoon
In medication measurement, 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) is equivalent to 15 milliliters (mL). A teaspoon (tsp) is 5 mL, and an ounce (oz) is 30 mL. Therefore, 15 mL is correctly measured as 1 tablespoon.
A resident has an order for a liquid medication with a dose of 300 mg. The medication's label states the strength is '100 mg per 5 mL'. How many milliliters (mL) should the QMAP pour?
Answer: 15 mL
This is a ratio and proportion problem. You know that 5 mL contains 100 mg. You need to administer 300 mg. Set up the equation: (100 mg / 5 mL) = (300 mg / X mL). To find X, you can see that 300 mg is 3 times 100 mg, so you need 3 times the volume: 3 x 5 mL = 15 mL.
When administering medications, the metric system is preferred over the household system primarily because it is:
Answer: A more standardized and accurate system
The metric system (using mg, g, mL, L) is a decimal-based system that is standardized globally, leading to greater accuracy and fewer errors. Household measures, like teaspoons and tablespoons, can vary in size, making them less precise for medication administration.
A physician's order states to give a resident 1 ounce of a liquid medication. The medication cup is marked only in milliliters (mL). How many mL should the QMAP pour to administer the correct dose?
Answer: 30 mL
The standard medical conversion is 1 ounce (oz) is equivalent to 30 milliliters (mL).
Which of the following is the correct way to measure a liquid medication dose of 5 mL?
Answer: Use a calibrated oral syringe or medicine cup
For accurate dosing, especially with small amounts of liquid medication, a calibrated measuring device such as an oral syringe, dropper, or medicine cup must be used. Household spoons are not standardized and should never be used for measuring medication.