Real-Life Math
"Math in any medical field is extremely important. You see it when
you go to the doctor, dentist or pharmacy. You hear it on television
shows like E.R. and Chicago Hope," says Ronald Johnson. He is a surgical technician.
On
TV, when there is an operation going on, the doctor says something like "an
amp of sodium bicarb."
"What you don't hear are the complicated mathematical
dosages we have to calculate on an everyday basis," says Johnson.
Dosages
are based on the size of the patient, such as 8/10 cc's per kilogram. Part
of your job is to be able to figure out how much medicine to give a patient.
"You
first have to be able to convert pounds into kilograms, then multiply the
number of kilograms by the number of cc's to arrive at your final dosage."
Speed is important in doing these math equations, for in critical situations
every second counts.
The patient weighs 120 lbs. The doctor has asked
you to supply the proper amount of medicine based on 8/10 cc's per kg. How
much medicine do you give?
Remember:
1 pound = 0.4536 kg