Equipment Used in Dosage Measurement Chapter 6 MAT 119

Objectives Recognize and select the appropriate equipment for the medication, dosage, and method of administration ordered. Read and interpret the calibrations of each utensil presented.

Medicine Cup Includes metric and household 5 milliliters (mL) = 1 teaspoon (t) 10 milliliters (mL) = 2 teaspoons (t) 15 milliliters (mL) = 1 tablespoon (T) 30 milliliters (mL) = 1 ounce (oz) Approximate equivalent measures

Medicine Cup continued Not used for small amounts Provides approximate amount – some medicine sticks to side of cup Cough syrup

Find… 5 mL = ? t 1 t 15 mL = ? T 1 T 1 oz = ? mL 30 mL 1 T = ? t 3 t

Find… 1/2 oz = ? mL 2 t = ? mL 1/2 oz = ? T ½ t = ? mL 15 mL 10 mL 1 T

Calibrated Dropper Used to administer small quantities Useful in medication of children and adults and adding small quantities to liquid Dispense eye and ear medications

Pediatric Oral Devices Used with oral medications for children Teach caregivers to use correctly Oral syringes do not have a Luerlock hub and have a cap on the tip (safety issue)

Parenteral Medication Administration The term parenteral refers to any way of giving a drug that does not involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The focus here is on intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal medications. There are a variety of syringes used for these types of injections.

Continued Must identify route of administration for injection Administration can be via a syringe and needle or an IV catheter Must use principles of rounding to ensure safety!

3 mL Syringe Length of needle – 1 – 1 ½ inch for IM Luerlock syringe hub Plunger Needle Barrel Rubber plunger tip

3 mL syringes Find: 1.5 mL 2.3 mL 0.8 mL Calibrations are measured in tenths Find: 1.5 mL 2.3 mL 0.8 mL

5 mL and 10 or 20 mL syringes Find: 2.4 mL; 4.4 mL Find: 4 mL; 14 mL

Prefilled Single Dose Syringe Used only once and is discarded Discard any extra medication prior to injection

1 mL Syringe Length of needle is ½ - 5/8 inch Also known as Tuberculin or TB syringe Used to administer small doses Calibrated in hundredths of a milliliter Can be used to give IM dosages of 0.5 mL or less, but you must change needle to 1-1 ½ inches Length of needle is ½ - 5/8 inch

1 mL syringe Calibrations measured in hundredths Find 0.05 mL 0.25 mL

Safety Syringes After use, the needle is protected by a shield Safety syringes are used to protect from injury

Continued

Insulin Syringe The insulin syringe is a specially calibrated syringe that is used to measure and administer insulin (ONLY). Instead of measuring in mL, it measures in units. Typically a U-100 syringe is used, which means there are 100 units of insulin per mL. Always make sure the concentration on the syringe matches the concentration on the insulin vial.

Units -100 Insulin Syringe Measurement and administration of units-100 insulin only Do not use for any other medications

3 Sizes of U-100 Insulin Syringes

Insulin Syringe Which syringe would you choose for the Calibrations are marked in units Which syringe would you choose for the following doses? Dose: 35 units 5 units 63 units

Different Sized Syringes: Calibrations

Needless Syringe

Continued Prefilled needleless syringe Used for flushing IV lines