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If a patient is prescribed a reducing oral dose of prednisolone as follows:
day 1: 10mg
day 2: 8mg
day 3: 6mg
day 4: 4mg
day 5: 2mg
day 6: 1mg
Prednisolone is supplied as 5mg tablets. Prednisolone tablets cannot be split. Therefore, the patient needs to take a number of whole tablets. How many of each tablet strength would it be most appropriate to supply?
Solution:
Answer (1)
Calculate the number of tablets needed each day by dividing the dose by the tablet strength and rounding up.
Day 1: 5 10 = 2 tablets
Day 2: 5 8 = 1.6 ≈ 2 tablets
Day 3: 5 6 = 1.2 ≈ 2 tablets
Day 4: 5 4 = 0.8 ≈ 1 tablet
Day 5: 5 3 = 0.6 ≈ 1 tablet
Day 6: 5 2 = 0.4 ≈ 1 tablet
Sum the tablets for each day to find the total: 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 9 . The patient needs 9 tablets.
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given a 6-day reducing dose of prednisolone and need to determine the number of 5mg tablets required for each day, knowing that tablets cannot be split.
Calculating Tablets per Day First, we calculate the number of tablets needed for each day by dividing the required dose by the tablet strength (5mg) and rounding up to the nearest whole number since tablets cannot be split.
Tablets Needed Each Day Day 1: 10 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 2 tablets Day 2: 8 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 1.6 tablets. Since tablets cannot be split, round up to 2 tablets. Day 3: 6 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 1.2 tablets. Round up to 2 tablets. Day 4: 4 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 0.8 tablets. Round up to 1 tablet. Day 5: 3 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 0.6 tablets. Round up to 1 tablet. Day 6: 2 mg / 5 mg/tablet = 0.4 tablets. Round up to 1 tablet.
Total Tablets Needed Now, we sum the number of tablets needed for each day to find the total number of 5mg tablets required for the entire 6-day course: 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 9 tablets
Final Answer Therefore, the patient needs a total of 9 tablets of 5mg strength.
Examples
This type of calculation is common in healthcare settings when administering medication. Nurses and pharmacists frequently need to calculate the number of tablets or the volume of liquid medication required to deliver a prescribed dose. Understanding how to round up to the nearest whole tablet or milliliter is crucial to ensure patients receive the correct dosage, especially when dealing with medications where precision is important. This skill ensures accurate medication administration and patient safety.
