Dosage calculation worksheet with answer key

The rounding rule

Every answer on these practice pages is rounded once, at the end, under one stated rule: nearest tenth, half rounds up, except tablets and capsules, rates in milliliters per hour and drip rates in drops per minute, which go to the nearest whole number, half rounds up. Your program's rule may differ, and on an exam it is the one that counts.

Exam practice, never for patient care.

Conversions

1
An intravenous vancomycin dose is ordered as 1,500 mg. The vials stocked on the unit are labeled in grams. Express the ordered dose in grams.
2
A refill order for levothyroxine is written as 0.1 mg daily. The pharmacy stocks levothyroxine tablets labeled in micrograms. Express the ordered dose in micrograms.
3
An infant's admission weight is documented as 5 kg. The neonatal flow sheet tracks daily weights in grams. Express the weight in grams.
4
A patient's urine output for the past day totals 2,600 mL. The daily fluid balance summary reports volumes in liters. Express the output in liters.
5
A patient drinks 8 fl oz of juice with breakfast. Oral intake is charted in milliliters. Express the intake in milliliters.

Worked solutions: Unit conversion practice problems for nursing students

Oral solid

6
The order reads metoprolol tartrate 50 mg by mouth twice daily. The pharmacy supplies scored metoprolol tablets of 50 mg each. How many tablets are given per dose?
7
The order reads spironolactone 100 mg by mouth daily. The bottle on hand supplies scored tablets of 50 mg each. How many tablets are given per dose?
8
The order reads amlodipine 10 mg by mouth daily. The tablets on hand are 5 mg each. How many tablets are given per dose?
9
The order reads amoxicillin 500 mg by mouth three times daily. The pharmacy supplies capsules of 250 mg each. A capsule cannot be divided. How many capsules are given per dose?
10
The order reads digoxin 0.25 mg by mouth daily. The pharmacy supplies digoxin tablets of 125 mcg each. How many tablets are given per dose?

Worked solutions: Tablet and capsule dosage calculation practice problems

Oral liquid

11
The order reads 500 mg of amoxicillin oral suspension by mouth every eight hours. The bottle is labeled 250 mg per 5 mL. How many milliliters are drawn into the oral syringe?
12
The order reads 80 mg of furosemide oral solution by mouth every morning. The bottle is labeled 10 mg per milliliter. How many milliliters are drawn into the oral syringe?
13
The order reads 15 mg of morphine sulfate oral solution by mouth every four hours as needed. The bottle is labeled 10 mg per 5 mL. How many milliliters are drawn into the oral syringe?
14
The order reads 20 g of lactulose solution by mouth daily. The bottle is labeled 10 g per 15 mL. How many milliliters are poured into the medicine cup?
15
A child is to receive 400 mg of azithromycin by mouth once daily. The reconstituted suspension is labeled 200 mg per 5 mL. How many milliliters are drawn into the oral syringe?

Worked solutions: Oral liquid dosage calculation practice problems

Injectable

16
The order reads 40 mg of enoxaparin subcutaneously once daily. The multidose vial on hand is labeled 300 mg per 3 mL. How many milliliters are drawn up?
17
The order reads 10 mg of morphine intramuscularly now. The vial on hand is labeled 10 mg per 1 mL. How many milliliters are drawn up?
18
The order reads 1.2 mg of naloxone by intravenous push now. The multidose vial on hand is labeled 4 mg per 10 mL. How many milliliters are drawn up?
19
The order reads 25 mg of promethazine by deep intramuscular injection. The single-dose vial on hand is labeled 50 mg per 1 mL. How many milliliters are drawn up?
20
The order reads 5,000 units of heparin subcutaneously every twelve hours. The vial on hand is labeled 10,000 units per 1 mL. How many milliliters are drawn up?

Worked solutions: Injectable dosage calculation practice problems

Reconstitution

21
A vial of cefazolin powder is reconstituted and then further diluted with sterile water for injection, giving 125 mg per milliliter in a final volume of 8 mL. The order reads 1,000 mg by slow intravenous push. How many milliliters are administered?
22
A vial of ampicillin powder is reconstituted with sterile water for injection, yielding 250 mg per milliliter. The order reads 500 mg intramuscularly. How many milliliters are drawn up?
23
A single-dose vial of hydrocortisone sodium succinate is reconstituted with the diluent held in its upper chamber, yielding 125 mg per milliliter. The order reads 500 mg intravenously now. How many milliliters are drawn up?
24
A vial of nafcillin powder is reconstituted with sterile water for injection, yielding 250 mg per milliliter. The order reads 1,000 mg by intravenous piggyback. How many milliliters of the reconstituted solution are added to the piggyback bag?
25
Doxycycline powder is reconstituted with sterile water for injection to 10 mg per milliliter. The order reads 200 mg by intravenous infusion. How many milliliters of the reconstituted solution are added to the infusion bag?

Worked solutions: Reconstitution dosage calculation practice problems

mL per hr

26
A bag of normal saline holding 1,000 mL is ordered to infuse over 10 hr. At what rate is the pump set, in milliliters per hour?
27
A rehydration infusion of half-normal saline totaling 1,000 mL is ordered to run over 5 hr. At what rate is the pump set, in milliliters per hour?
28
A cefazolin piggyback is mixed in 100 mL of solution and is to infuse over 20 min. At what rate is the pump set, in milliliters per hour?
29
A nitroglycerin infusion is supplied at a concentration of 200 mcg per milliliter. The order is 20 mcg per min. At what rate is the pump set, in milliliters per hour?
30
An isoproterenol infusion contains 1 mg in 500 mL of five percent dextrose injection. The order is 4 mcg per min. At what rate is the pump set, in milliliters per hour?

Worked solutions: mL per hr IV rate practice problems

gtt per min

31
An infusion of 500 mL of normal saline is to run by gravity over 100 min. The tubing delivers 10 gtt per milliliter. How many drops per minute are counted?
32
A ceftriaxone minibag of 100 mL is to infuse by gravity over 30 min. The tubing delivers 15 gtt per milliliter. How many drops per minute are counted?
33
At the start of the night shift, 750 mL of normal saline remains in the bag and is to finish by gravity over 10 hr. The tubing delivers 20 gtt per milliliter. How many drops per minute are counted?
34
A home infusion of normal saline runs by gravity because no pump is supplied. The order reads 90 mL per hr, and the tubing delivers 20 gtt per milliliter. How many drops per minute are counted?
35
An order reads to infuse 600 mL of normal saline by gravity over 150 min. The unit stocks tubing in several sizes, and the set in use delivers 20 gtt per milliliter. How many drops per minute are counted?

Worked solutions: IV drip rate practice problems (gtt/min)

Infusion time

36
A bag of normal saline holding 1,000 mL is infusing at 75 mL per hour. How many hours will the infusion take?
37
A unit of packed red blood cells holding 350 mL is transfusing at 100 mL per hour. How many hours will the transfusion take?
38
A rider of magnesium sulfate holding 4 g in 100 mL is infusing at 50 mL per hour. How many hours will the infusion take?
39
A bottle of five percent albumin holding 250 mL is infusing at 80 mL per hour. How many hours will the infusion take?
40
A postpartum oxytocin infusion bag holds 20 units in 1,000 mL. The pump is running at 125 mL per hour. How many hours will the bag last?

Worked solutions: Infusion time practice problems

Weight-based dosing

41
A child weighs 88 lb. The order reads acetaminophen 15 mg per kilogram per dose by mouth every six hours as needed for fever. How many milligrams are given per dose?
42
A child weighs 35.2 lb. The order reads potassium chloride oral solution 3 mEq per kilogram per day by mouth, divided into 4 equal doses. How many milliequivalents are given per dose?
43
A child weighs 44 lb. The order reads ondansetron 0.15 mg per kilogram intravenously once before chemotherapy. How many milligrams are given?
44
An adult weighs 176 lb. The order reads enoxaparin 1.5 mg per kilogram subcutaneously once daily. How many milligrams are injected per dose?
45
An adult weighs 70 kg. The order reads vancomycin 20 mg per kilogram per dose intravenously every twelve hours. How many milligrams are given per dose?

Worked solutions: Weight-based dosing practice problems (mg/kg)

Answer key

Answers under the stated rounding rule, with the practice page where each problem is worked
No.	Answer	Worked on
1	1.5 g	Conversions, problem 1
2	100 mcg	Conversions, problem 2
3	5,000 g	Conversions, problem 3
4	2.6 L	Conversions, problem 4
5	240 mL	Conversions, problem 5
6	1 tab	Oral solid, problem 1
7	2 tab	Oral solid, problem 2
8	2 tab	Oral solid, problem 3
9	2 cap	Oral solid, problem 4
10	2 tab	Oral solid, problem 5
11	10 mL	Oral liquid, problem 1
12	8 mL	Oral liquid, problem 2
13	7.5 mL	Oral liquid, problem 3
14	30 mL	Oral liquid, problem 4
15	10 mL	Oral liquid, problem 5
16	0.4 mL	Injectable, problem 1
17	1 mL	Injectable, problem 2
18	3 mL	Injectable, problem 3
19	0.5 mL	Injectable, problem 4
20	0.5 mL	Injectable, problem 5
21	8 mL	Reconstitution, problem 1
22	2 mL	Reconstitution, problem 2
23	4 mL	Reconstitution, problem 3
24	4 mL	Reconstitution, problem 4
25	20 mL	Reconstitution, problem 5
26	100 mL/hr	mL per hr, problem 1
27	200 mL/hr	mL per hr, problem 2
28	300 mL/hr	mL per hr, problem 3
29	6 mL/hr	mL per hr, problem 4
30	120 mL/hr	mL per hr, problem 5
31	50 gtt/min	gtt per min, problem 1
32	50 gtt/min	gtt per min, problem 2
33	25 gtt/min	gtt per min, problem 3
34	30 gtt/min	gtt per min, problem 4
35	80 gtt/min	gtt per min, problem 5
36	13.3 hr	Infusion time, problem 1
37	3.5 hr	Infusion time, problem 2
38	2 hr	Infusion time, problem 3
39	3.1 hr	Infusion time, problem 4
40	8 hr	Infusion time, problem 5
41	600 mg	Weight-based dosing, problem 1
42	12 mEq	Weight-based dosing, problem 2
43	3 mg	Weight-based dosing, problem 3
44	120 mg	Weight-based dosing, problem 4
45	1,400 mg	Weight-based dosing, problem 5

Each problem is built from the published drug labeling or clinical reference listed under its worked solution. No licensed clinician has reviewed the problem set.