Real-Life Math
Fern, a young woman, has called into your public health department. She is concerned because when she awoke in the morning, she found a bat in her room. She also noticed small bite marks on her arm.
You ask Fern to come into the public health unit, and if possible, to bring the bat for examination. She says that when she opened the door, the bat escaped into the outdoors.
You explain to Fern that she may have come in contact with rabies. You suggest that she get vaccinated as a precaution against getting the disease.
When Fern comes into the health unit, she will first receive a dose of human immune globulin (HRIG) before she begins a series of rabies vaccinations over the following month.
You must administer the correct amount of HRIG to Fern. The dose is 9 immunizing units (IUs) per pound. "You have to be able to calculate appropriate doses, and be able to process lab results," says Tim Hilderman. He is a public health director. "Here, we are currently concerned with rabies."
- If Fern weighs 120 pounds, how many immunizing units of HRIG will she need?
- If the HRIG comes in vials that contain 216 IUs each, how many vials will you need to treat Fern?