We should always use decimals instead of fractions.įor example, to write one and one half milliliters, we should write 1.5 mL, not 1 1/2 mL This is just a fancy way of saying that we should use regular numbers (as opposed to Roman numerals).įor example, to write three micrograms we should write 3 mcg, not iii mcg. These rules are:įor example, to write five grams, we would write 5 g, not g 5.Īll numbers should be written using the Hindu-Arabic decimal system. When we write dosage orders for drugs in the metric system, we have to follow a certain set of rules that have been devised to minimize the most common mistakes that people often make when reading drug orders. Rules for Writing Drug Dosage Orders in the Metric System: To read more about Milliequivalents, click here. Drugs such as potassium chloride (KCl), calcium gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, and sometimes even sodium chloride can be measured in milliequivalents. Milliequivalents ( mEq): Milliequivalents measure the drug's ability to react with electrons. ![]() To read more about International Units, click here. So while 1 mL of insulin may have 100 Units of insulin in it, 1 mL of heparin may have 10,000 Units of heparin in it! However, it is very important to note that the volume or weight of a Unit of insulin is usually very different from a Unit of penicillin or a Unit of heparin. If one kind of penicillin is mixed so that 1 mL contains 200,000 U and another kind of penicillin is mixed so that 1 mL contains 1,000,000 Units, the second drug has five times more bacteria-fighting power than the first drug, even though one mL of each has the same volume.ĭrugs such as insulin, penicillin, and heparin, all of which we will encounter in this course, are all measured in Units vitamins, hormones, and blood products in general are also often measured in units. The volume or weight of a Unit will vary from drug to drug for example, in penicillin, which is an antibiotic, a substance which kills bacteria, the ability of the antibiotic is measured by it's power to kill bacteria. ![]()
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