Drug Dose

Dani R Firman
 Dose

• Is amount/quantity of ingredient that given within a

certain period of time.

• It’s used for determining quantity of ; drug/toxic

materials, chemicals, bacterial toxin, antitoxin,
serum and vaccines that are applied or enter the
human body or animal in treatment or experiment.
 The measure of dose on
the prescription :

• Unity of weight ; µg, mg, g

• unity of volume ; ml
• International unit (I.U) ; Nystatin
5.000.000 IU

• percentage (%) ; Tetracycline 2 %

Terminology of Doses :

• Minimal dose : the smallest quantity of substances

that produce an appropriate effect

• Effective dose : the quantity of substances that

produce the appropriate effect for which it is
administered

• Usual dose : the quantity of substances that produce

the appropriate effect after administration to average
population
 Terminology of Doses :

• Maximum dose : the highest quantity of substance that

can be given to average population without toxic effect

• Toxic dose : the lowest quantity of substances that cause

toxic symptom
 Dose :
• Single dose ; ex. ; Codein HCl oral single
adult dose is 10 – 20 mg

• Daily dose ;
★ex. - Dexametason daily adult dose is
0.5 mg – 2 mg

★Ampicillin oral single pediatric dose 50

mg – 100 mg/kg BW divided into 4
Regimen dose = individual dose

• Levels of therapeutic dose :

✤ Initial dose
✤ Adjustment dose
✤ Maintenance dose
✤ Maximum dose
Table of doses for adult
• Dose for adults ( ≥ 20 years)

• generally are given the dose from table of drug

dose for adult

• Dose for infants and children generally are given

dose

• from table dose for infant and children

• calculated from adult dose

Factors that should be considered in
calculating of pediatric doses :

• Absorption :

• Irregular GI peristaltic in the first week of neonates

• 8 – 12 months ; delayed gastric emptying
• 0 – 3 years ; fluctuate gastric pH

• Distribution :

• 0 – 10 months ; binding of protein plasma with

• drugs are lesser than older
• Metabolism :

• drugs metabolism in infant are lower than adult

• drugs that eliminated by liver have longer half life

✴ for ex. ; diazepam, digoxin, phenobarbital,

✴ salicylate, chloramphenicol

• shorter half life ; theophylin, anticonvulsant

• Excretion :

The renal function in neonates and infant are still

minimal and will reach the adult level at ages of 10 –
12 months
Calculation of infant,baby
and children dose
• 3. Body surface area

• 4. Using Normogram

• Factor influencing dose :

1. Age

2. body weight

3. Route of administration

4. Disease
 The drug dosage for
elderly :

The processes that should be considered on

calculating of elderly dose :

1. Absorption

Absorption is slow and reduced in the following

diseases ;

Congestive heart failure, malabsorption, iron

enterophaty.
Elderly ages are 64 years or more

2. Distribution ;

Albumin-globulin ratio is changed ;

At age of 23 years : 1.3

79 years : 0.87

Binding between drug and protein plasma

 The drug dosage for elderly :

• Lowering doses suggested :

1. 65 – 74 years old 10%

2. 75 - 84 years old 20%

3. 85 - more 30%