We all know how important it is to know what medicine to use to relieve the symptoms of a particular disease. But not only this fact has a significant meaning in the treatment of various ailments. How to find out the exact dosage of the medicine? Here is the main question, to which not everyone knows the exact answer. This is very important, because, for example, a child's body may not respond adequately to excessive intake of a particular drug.
What is the dosage of the medicine?
First of all, you need to understand what drugs are. These are the drugs that a person uses to prevent and treat various diseases. Depending on the purpose of the medicine, it can be obtained from animal and human tissues and organs, plant and mineral raw materials.
This contributes to its better absorption in the human body. Medicines are produced in various forms: tablets, syrups, tinctures, solutions and other options. There are several types of medicinalMeans: general purpose (treat everyday diseases, such as viruses and colds), potent (used to prevent serious diseases, such as epileptic seizures), poisonous (for example, the treatment of various types of tumors).
Each drug always comes with instructions that clearly indicate the dose of the drug you want to start taking. Of course, sometimes experienced doctors write a prescription for the use of a medicine that differs from its instructions. And this is quite a possible situation, because the doctor knows better the symptoms of your disease, your weight and age, which means that he will more accurately prescribe the treatment for you.
Terms used when setting the dosage of any drug
The dosage of a drug is, in fact, prescribing them in a prescribed amount (dose, if we are talking about tablets, syrups, tinctures, etc.) or in the right concentration (when we talk about inhalation, i.e. e. the ability to mix the medicine with a certain solution).
Most often, doctors indicate the unit of measure for a serving of medicine in grams or milligrams (micrograms and more). If you do not know how to figure out the exact dosage of a medicine, you should pay attention to the following concepts:
- course dose: the amount of medicine that must be taken within a certain time to get rid of all the symptoms of the disease (say, the course is usually 3, 5, 10, 14, 21 days or several months - it all depends on the medicine). This is very important when taking antibiotics becausenon-compliance with the course dose when using them leads to the fact that the human body develops immunity to them, and they will not bring any benefit in treatment;
- therapeutic dose, i.e. the amount of medicine that, in the opinion of the doctor, will lead to the complete recovery of the patient;
- daily dose - the amount of the drug that you should consume during the day (24 hours);
- single dose: the amount of a medicinal substance that the patient needs to drink at one time.
It is important to note that there are concepts of the highest single dose and the highest daily dose, after which a person will not experience side effects. There are the following therapeutic doses of medicines:
- maximum: may have an irreversible harmful effect on the body, which will eventually lead to death;
- medium: value between maximum and minimum;
- minimum: below normal dose that will have no effect on the disease.
How to measure the dose of this or that drug?
Often people wonder how to calculate the dosage of a medicine, having improvised means at hand (spoons, measuring cups). There are generally accepted measures of liquid volume that can be used in this case:
- 1 faceted glass - 200 ml (includes 40 tsp, 20 dessert spoons, 16 tbsp);
- 1 tbsp. - 15 ml (includes 3 tsp);
- 1 dessert spoon - 10 ml (includes 2 tsp);
- 1 tsp - 5 ml (the smallest measureddose).
The dose of medicines can be correctly calculated using the devices that come with the medicines, for example: measuring cups, dosing syringes, dosing pipettes, dosing spoons.
They can easily measure the required liquid medicine, or pour the desired healing powder. Such dispensers are usually used at home with self-treatment. Typically, they are able to measure medicinal products in liquid form in the range of 2.5 ml to 60 ml. Of course, in hospitals, it is considered more convenient to use drugs in other forms (for example, liquid ones - through a dropper), i.e. when doctors can easily track the rate of drug administration, its absorption by the patient's body and, of course, the effect of the appropriate treatment.
How much drug is in a solution or tincture?
To answer the seemingly simple question of how to figure out the exact dosage of a drug, you need to do the following calculations:
- It is often customary to take liquid medicines with a regular teaspoon, the volume of which, as mentioned above, is 5 ml. For example, your doctor prescribes you a medicine in the form of a syrup. On its packaging, the following ratio is indicated, which, at times, introduces everyone into confusion: 15 mg / 5 ml. Everything is simple here: this means that 1 tsp. medicine will contain 15 mg of this syrup. If a single dose of the drug specifically for you is 45 mg, then you should drink 3 tsp at a time. syrup.
- Sometimes, manufacturers indicate how much of the main active ingredient of a liquid medicine is contained in the entire volume, for example, syrup. Let's say the package says that the active ingredient is 60 mg, and the volume of the entire solution is 120 ml. We consider how much it will be contained in 1 ml: 60 mg / 120 ml \u003d 0.5 mg / 1 ml. And if 1 tsp. contains 5 ml: 5 ml x 0.5 mg / ml \u003d 2.5 mg of active ingredient in 1 tsp. Based on this, we calculate our own daily dose of the drug.
- It happens that the ratio of the active substance to 100 mg or 100 ml is indicated on the packaging of the drug. It is necessary to calculate everything here, as indicated above.
What affects the dose of the drug?
Drug dosage table (i.e. all information about the dose of the drug) usually includes the patient's age, weight, sometimes gender.
The main thing for a competent specialist is to take into account all the factors affecting the intake of a particular drug:
- age and sex of the patient;
- presence or absence of chronic diseases;
- taking or not taking other medications along with the prescribed remedy;
- severity and duration of illness.
Anyone will understand that a person with a small weight needs a smaller dose of medicine compared to a person with a larger volume. Or, for example, men have a special metabolism, so the dose of the drug for them is usually higher than for women. That is why the instructions forthe average therapeutic dose is indicated for the medicine, so that the attending physician himself can determine the required amount of the drug, specifically for you.
Calculate the dose of medication for children
The dosage of medicines in pediatrics is a rather controversial issue. Some doctors recommend calculating it based on the dose of a similar drug for an adult.
But many are not inclined to trust this system, because the mass of a child is much less than an adult, and their metabolism is much faster. Doctors say that a growing body is more sensitive to various kinds of drugs. For example, children do not tend to use alcohol, drugs, nicotine, which are often part of medicines. Yes, and their negative impact is most noticeable on a small body. Therefore, the dosage of drugs for children is calculated based on data on the baby's body weight (1 kg), body surface area (1 sq.m), the number of years of his life.
You also need to understand that the reaction to the same medicine in different children can be completely different. It all depends on the child's genetic predisposition to diseases, the presence of chronic diseases and much more. Often the effectiveness of the drug is regulated by reducing or increasing its dose. It is important for inexperienced parents to know that the way they are administered (orally, rectally, intramuscularly, subcutaneously, intravenously) also has a direct impact on effectiveness. Portion of any medicine forchildren are usually counted in two specific ways:
- based on the weight of the child: per 1 kg;
- Based on the age of the child: the age is indicated (up to what or after what year the medicine can be given to the baby).
If you use drugs that are available for adults, then per child, you must follow the doses that are presented in the form of a summary. Medication dosage table:
| Age of child | Proportion of medication relative to adult dose |
| up to 6 months | 1/10 - 1/8 |
| 6 months - 12 months | 1/8 - 1/7 |
| 12 months - 24 months | 1/7 - 1/6 |
| 24 mon. -3 years | 1/6 - 1/5 |
| 3-4 years | 1/5 - 1/4 |
| 4-6 years old | 1/4 - 1/3 |
| 6-8 years old | 1/3 - 1/2 |
| 8-10 years | 1/2 - 3/4 |
| 10-14 years old | 3/4 - 5/6 |
| 14-18 years old | 5/6 - 1 |
Of course, it is best when treating a child to use drugs that are produced specifically for young children. Firstly, manufacturers, producing precisely these drugs, comply with much more requirements for product quality. Secondly, it is very difficult to choose and make the correct dose of a drug, for example, from a similar tablet for an adult. Sometimes the active substance there is more than the child actually needs to treat the disease.
Calculationdoses of medication for adults
In principle, medicines for adults should be taken according to the instructions that come with them. The main thing at the same time is to observe the following rules and not deviate from them:
- carefully follow the doctor's prescriptions, do not self-medicate;
- it is fundamentally important to correctly calculate a single, daily and course dose of any drug, based on the weight and gender of an adult;
- buy medicines only in trusted places, so as not to get a fake.
Remember that any drug is, first of all, a chemical compound that can bring your he alth not only benefits in the form of recovery, but also cause significant harm if used improperly.
Prescription supplied with medicines: is it necessary?
How to find out the exact dosage of the medicine when using it for the first time? The prescription that is usually attached to each drug will definitely help you with this. There, in addition to the medicinal properties of the drug, a single, daily dose is indicated, as well as the dose for the course of taking the drug. Proper medication intake affects the duration and effectiveness of the patient's recovery process. It is important to know that sometimes doctors underestimate the course dose of a particular drug. If such a discrepancy is found in the appointment of a specialist and the prescription attached to the medicine, it is worth asking him the appropriate question. After all, often the dose of medicines directly depends on the weight of a person, the presence of chronic diseases, age, etc. And the task of the doctor in this case is to correctly regulate it.
Nebulizer and doses of medicines for it
As you know, scientific progress does not stand still, and quite recently an excellent device for the treatment of diseases of the nasal cavity and throat in children and adults - a nebulizer has become known.
As the patients themselves note, the results of treatment with this device are simply excellent: firstly, it takes much less time to finally get rid of the signs of the disease; secondly, you spend much less money on the treatment process itself.
Just remember, you don’t need to self-medicate here either, medications and dosages for the nebulizer should be prescribed by an experienced doctor. The meaning of its work is as follows: you pour the necessary preparation into a special container, mixing it in certain proportions with a saline solution, and breathe in the steam formed (which is created due to the operation of a compressor or ultrasound). Thus, the drug is distributed in the pharynx or nasal cavity and has a positive effect on their treatment. It is important to know the medicines and dosages for the nebulizer that are used in modern devices:
- sodium chloride solution (serves only as a drug solvent);
- solution "Berodual" (expands bronchi);
- suspension "Pulmicort" (dries the nasal mucosa with a severe runny nose);
- alcohol solution of chlorphyllipt: relieves coughing fits and removes phlegm.
Drugs that are used inmodern nebulizers, a lot. It is important to understand what dosage of drugs for inhalation is necessary in one case or another.
Drug overdose - is it life-threatening?
I would like to note that such situations arise quite often in everyday life. People, without reading the instructions, take, as it seems to them, a normal amount of a particular drug. They immediately experience the following symptoms: nausea, dizziness, headache, weakness, involuntary muscle contraction.
All this can lead to death. To correct the situation in a short time, you need to urgently induce vomiting, wash the patient's stomach and seek help from a medical institution. While you are waiting for an ambulance, drink strong black tea, but not milk, this can cause an even stronger effect of intoxication. To avoid such situations, you need to understand what the dosage of drugs is, and be sure to comply with it.
It is important to be aware that when using this or that medicine, you are using certain chemicals that, in addition to benefit, can cause significant harm. Since, even with their minimal overdose, they turn into poison, which can lead to disastrous consequences. This is especially true for young patients, for whose lives their parents are primarily responsible. Therefore, it is necessary before taking this or that drug (especially when it comes to children) to consult a doctor, calculate its correct dose and in no casedo not deviate from this value.
