🧮 Medical & Fluid Math · 5 min
Units and conversions
Why this matters
Every dosage problem starts with a unit conversion, and most errors happen there rather than in the arithmetic.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Convert between pounds, grams and kilograms
- Recall the standard abbreviations used in formularies
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lb | pound |
| µg | microgram |
| mg | milligram |
| g | gram |
| kg | kilogram |
| mL | milliliter |
| cc | cubic centimeter |
| L | liter |
| Conversion | Conversion |
|---|---|
| 1 lb = 454 g | 1 kg = 2.2 lb |
| 1,000 g = 1 kg | 0.001 kg = 1 g |
| 1,000 mg = 1 g | 0.001 g = 1 mg |
| 1,000 µg = 1 mg | 0.001 mg = 1 µg |
| 1 mL = 1 cc, and 1 g of fluid has a volume of 1 mL | |
Dosing abbreviations
SID once daily (every 24 hours) · BID twice daily (every 12 hours) · TID three times daily (every 8 hours) · QID four times daily (every 6 hours). SQ subcutaneous, IM intramuscular, IV intravenous, IO intra-osseous.
Buy a scale that reads in grams and kilograms. Doses in formularies are written in mg/kg, so a scale in ounces makes you do a conversion you did not need to do. Dosages vary widely between species: use the dose given for your species, or the most closely related species.
This lesson is part of the NY Wildlife Rehabilitator Exam course. Open it in the course to answer the retrieval checks that go with it, track what you have read, and quiz the whole unit. Lessons, quizzes and the glossary are free.