Real-Life Math
A simple toothache can be painful. Imagine undergoing reconstructive
jaw surgery! Fortunately, oral surgeons are trained in medical procedures
and can give local and general anesthetics to their patients. Once a surgery
is complete, patients also need further pain management.
You're
an oral surgeon visiting a patient who has had to undergo a rather difficult
wisdom tooth extraction. The surgery went well, but you are prescribing painkillers
to keep the patient comfortable over the next few days while her mouth heals.
"A
small amount of math is used on the job," says Benjamin Davis.
He is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. "It's used for drug volumes
and dosages, but it doesn't require high-powered math."
The painkiller
you're administering is called Nopain. The idea is to give the patient
enough of the pills to keep her comfortable, but no more than she needs. It's
also important that she doesn't take more than the daily recommended
dose. The maximum amount of Nopain that the patient should consume in a 24-hour
period is 300 mg.
You want the patient, Christine, to take 30 mg of
Nopain every 4 hours.
- If each of Christine's pills contains 15 mg of the drug Nopain, how
many pills should she take over a 24-hour period?
- Christine misunderstood your directions and didn't read the pill
bottle. She took 4 of the 15 mg pills every 4 hours for 1 day. In the 24-hour
period, did she exceed the maximum dosage of Nopain?