1. Equipment Used in Dosage Measurement
Chapter 6
Equipment Used in Dosage Measurement

2. Medication Equipment for Dosage Measurement
We have talked about systems of measurement used in calculation dosages, now you will learn to recognize and read the calibrations of devices used in both oral and parenteral administration.
Ask class …. What is PARENTERAL? = any medication route other than the alimentary canal (SQ, IV, ID, IM, ET)
ALIMENTARY CANAL = the digestive tract from mouth to anus

3. Equipment Used in Dosage Calculations
GOALS:
Recognize & select appropriate equipment for the medication, dosage, and method of administration ordered.
Read and interpret the calibrations of each utensil presented
Including oral and parenteral administration. CALIBRATION = checking measurements/making adjustments in order to measure
ORAL: medicine cup, pediatric oral devices, and calibrated droppers
PARENTERAL: 3 mL SYRINGE, INSULIN SYRINGE, THE 1 ML SYRINGE, AND SPECIAL SAFETY SYRINGES
Ask class what the 3 systems of measurement are before next slide

4. Medicine Cup May include metric, household, and apothecary measures
30 milliliters = 1 ounce
5 milliliters = 1 teaspoon
15 milliliters = 1 tablespoon
The medicine cup is a great study aid to help you learn the volume equivalents of the three systems of measurement.
NOT really apothecary anymore…
The medicine cup has a 30 mL or 1 fl oz capacity for oral liquids

5. Medicine Cup © Cengage Learning 2016
Oral dosages less than 2.5 mL should be measured in a calibrated oral syringe (it should really be less that 5 mL)
Ask class to look at different systems of measurements on cup to learn different equivalents: ounces, mL, tsp, T
Also, on the top of page 126
© Cengage Learning 2016

6. Calibrated Dropper Useful in: Medicating children and elderly
Adding small quantities to liquid
Administering small quantities
Dispensing eye and ear medications
Abbreviated gtt
Rule
Never exchange packaged droppers between medications, because drop size varies from one dropper to another.
The amount of the gtt depends on the diameter of the hole at the tip of the dropper!
So, the right dropper is calibrated perfectly to accompany the correct medication.
Calibrations are usually in mL or drops

7. Pediatric Calibrated Oral Devices
Used with oral medications for children
Do not use syringes intended for injections when administering oral medications
Teach caregivers to use devices correctly
Oral syringes do not have Luer-lock hub
Have cap on tip
Next slide will show a picture of this

8. Pediatric Oral Devices
Used with oral medications for children Use of household spoons vary in size and are not reliable.
It is very important to be able to distinguish between oral and parenteral syringes.
ORAL: do not have a luer lock, usually have a cap on tip of syringe
PARENTERAL: have a luerlock that allow a needle to be secured tightly
© Cengage Learning 2016

9. Parenteral Medication Administration
Used to identify route of administration by injection
Includes syringes and intravenous (IV) catheters
Must use principles of rounding to ensure safety
PARENTERAL: Interpreted literally designates route of administration other than gastrointestinal.
In this text and most clinical settings, parenteral means injection routes

10. Oral and Parental Syringes
Oral may be distinguished from parental syringes in two ways:
Syringes indicated for oral typically do not have a Luer-lock hub
Usually have a cap that must be removed before the medication can be administered
Syringes intended for parenteral use have a Luer-lock hub that allows a needle to be secured tightly.

11. Luer Lock Syringe

12. Comparison of syringes:

13. Luer lock

14. 3 mL Syringe © Cengage Learning 2016
Most commonly used syringe in the clinical setting
© Cengage Learning 2016

15. 3 mL Syringe Luer-lock syringe hub Plunger Needle Barrel
Rubber plunger tip
Page 128
Syringe parts identified Show example to class with real 3 ml syringe
© Cengage Learning 2016

16. 3 mL Syringe
Calibrations read from top (needle end) black ring of suction plunger
Calibrated in milliliters for each tenth (0.1)
NOT the raised middle section and NOT the bottom(plunger end ring)
Ask class to turn to page 128 to look at figure 6-5
Ask class to pull plunger back for examples of 0.2 mLs

17. RULE:
Standard drug dosages of 1 mL or greater can be rounded to the nearest tenth (0.1) of a mL
For example: mL can be rounded to 1.5 mL
2.33, 1.85, 1.64, 1.97

18. Prefilled Single-Dose Syringe
Contains usual single-dose of medication
Used only once
Discarded
Discard any extra medication prior to injection
Examples of pre-filled one time use syringes with medication: flu shot, epi pen, rhogham, ab, narcotics, tetnaus,etc…
Be aware that some medications that are wasted or discarded need to be witnessed and documented by another licensed individual.
Go over example of page 128…read to class

19. U-100 Insulin Syringe Used only to measure and administer insulin
Do not use with any other medications
May be standard 100 unit or Lo-dose 100 unit (for smaller doses)
Lo-dose syringes have 50-unit or 30-unit capacity with single-unit calibration
Page 129, 130 pic of standard next slide

20. U-100 Insulin Syringe © Cengage Learning 2016
Example of a Standard U-100 insulin syringe
CAUTION U-100 insulin should only be measured in a U-100 insulin syringe. U-100 insulin concentration is 100 units of insulin per mL.
NOTICE that on one side of the syringe the units are calibrated in odd-2 number increments; and the other side calibrated in even 2-number increments
Be careful to read the insulin dose by reading the units at the TOP OF THE RUBBER STOPPER ALL INSULIN IS CHECKED BY ANOTHER LICENSED NURSE BEFORE ADMINISTRATION!!
© Cengage Learning 2016

21. Lo-Dose U-100 Insulin Syringe

22. 1 mL Syringe Also known as tuberculin or TB syringe
Used to administer small/and or critical doses
Less than 0.5 mL
Calibrated in hundredths of a milliliter 0.01
Be careful to measure the dose by reading the units at the top of the black rubber stopper at the end of the plunger.
Picture of 1 mL next slide
Although calibrated in hundreths of a mL, each one tenth (0.1) mL is labled on the metric scale

23. 1 mL Syringe © Cengage Learning 2016 Go to page 130
Pediatric and critical care doses of less than 1 mL can be rounded to hundreths and measured in the 1 mL syringe
Talk about example figure 6-10 NOTICE THE PLUNGER TIP IS FLAT
Remember: it is preferable to measure all amounts less than 0.5 mL in a 1 mL syringe.
© Cengage Learning 2016

24. Safety Syringes Needle protected by shield
Used to protect nurse from injury
Different manufacturers make different protective devices
Vary among clinical settings/hospitals
Have students turn to Page 131

25. Intravenous Syringe Used to prepare medication for IV administration
Examine calibrations and select best syringe based on volume needed
Typically, needle removed from syringe
Needleless system administers drug through IV tubing
Syringes intended for injection should never be used to measure or administer oral medications
Page 132 shows examples of needless syringes

26. Needleless Syringe System
Used to prevent needlesticks during IV medication administration
Page 132 bottom
Go over Review set 17 with class.

27. RULE
Be sure to read REVIEW BOX at the end of ch 6 to help summarize information

28. If time review set 17///ask class questions