What is Dosage Rate and Why Should You Care?
Understanding dosage rate is crucial for ensuring the right amount of medication is administered based on body weight.
How to Calculate Dosage Rate
The formula:
$$\text{Dosage Rate} = \frac{\text{Total Dosage}}{\text{Total Weight}}$$
Where:
- Dosage Rate is the amount of medication per unit of body weight (mg/lb or mg/kg)
- Total Dosage is the total amount of medication needed (mg)
- Total Weight is the body weight (lbs or kg)
Calculation Example
Given:
- Total Dosage: 75 mg
- Total Weight: 150 lbs
Calculation:
$$\text{Dosage Rate} = \frac{75}{150} = 0.5 \text{ mg/lb}$$
The dosage rate is 0.5 mg/lb.