pharmacology

Key Strategies for Exam Preparation

  • After your first attempt at an exam, if you need to retake it, do not wait too long. Take it again as soon as possible while the material is still fresh in your mind.

  • Focus on the first 11 questions on your exam, as they often include matching questions. Many students tend to miss one or two of these easier questions while getting the harder ones correct.

Essential Formulas to Memorize

  • Dosage Calculation: Write down the formula for the dosage calculation as soon as you receive your exam. The formula is:

    • ext{Dosage on Hand} imes rac{x}{ ext{Volume}}

  • Temperature Conversion: Write the Celsius to Fahrenheit formula:

    • F = (C imes 1.8) + 32

  • Weight Conversion: Remember the conversion between kilograms and pounds:

    • 1 ext{ pound} = 0.453592 ext{ kilograms} ext{ (approximately 2.2 kg)}

Conversions and Systems of Measurement

Systems of Measurement

  1. Apothecary System

    • Units: grains, scruples, drams. (Note: We won't be doing calculations with these, but you need to recognize these units for historical texts.)

    • Weight: Grain.

  2. Metric System

    • Base Units: Gram, meter, liter.

    • Common Prefixes:

      • Kilo-: $10^3$ (1,000)

      • Hecto-: $10^2$ (100)

      • Deca-: $10^1$ (10)

      • Deci-: $10^{-1}$ (0.1)

      • Centi-: $10^{-2}$ (0.01)

      • Milli-: $10^{-3}$ (0.001)

    • The metric system is standardized, making conversions straightforward (mostly shifting decimal points).

  3. Household System

    • Familiar with drops, cups, ounces, teaspoons, etc.

    • For liquid conversions, remember:

      • 1 tbsp = 15 ml

      • 1 tsp = 5 ml

Key Conversion Techniques

  • Converting kilograms to grams: Move the decimal point 3 places to the right.

  • Converting grams to kilograms: Move the decimal point 3 places to the left.

  • Converting pounds to kilograms: Divide by 2.2.

  • Converting kilograms to pounds: Multiply by 2.2.

  • Example:

    • Converting 250 grams to kilograms:

    • Move decimal 3 places left → 0.25 kg

Important Abbreviations to Remember

  • Rx: Prescription

  • Dx: Diagnosis

  • Tx: Treatment

  • QD: Once a day

  • BID: Twice a day

  • TID: Three times a day

  • QHS: Every bedtime

  • PO: By mouth

Detailed Understanding of Metric Conversions

  • Example Conversion 1: Convert 48 decigrams to kilograms. Move decimal 4 places left to yield 0.0048 ext{ kg} .

  • Example Conversion 2: Convert 495 milliseconds to seconds. Move decimal 3 places left to yield 0.495 ext{ seconds} .

Fraction Managing Principles

  • Adding/Subtracting: Find a common denominator.

  • Multiplying: Multiply straight across.

  • Dividing: Keep the first fraction, change to multiplication, flip the second fraction.

Important Points on Equations

  • The equal sign indicates balance: whatever you do to one side must be done to the other.

  • To isolate x, reverse the operations applied to x (add, subtract, multiply, divide).

Practical Application in Medication Calculation Using Formulas

  • Use the formula ext{D} = rac{x}{ ext{V}} where D is the dose, V is the volume.

  • Always show your work, as it's essential in medication calculations to avoid errors which can lead to serious consequences for a patient.

  • Remember to apply real-world contexts to the calculations—understanding what units mean and their applications is crucial for nursing and pharmacy practice!