MATH IN MEDICINE

QUESTIONS:-

HOW IS MATH USED IN HEALTHCARE?

YOU NEED TO BE GOOD AT MATH TO BE A DO

DOCTOR?

WHAT MATH DO DOCTORS DO?

 HOW IS MATH USED IN HEALTHCARE ?
 When you go to the doctor, they talk to you in numbers. They
measure your blood pressure, temperature, and weight. They take
blood and determine whether you have the right mix of blood
cells, whether your levels of certain compounds like iron and
protein are high enough, and so on.
 Medicine and math go hand in hand, but how much math do
healthcare professionals use behind the scenes? If you’re thinking
of applying to medical school or entering a healthcare field like 
nursing, here’s what you need to know.
 Do you need to be good at math to be a doctor?

 No matter the profession, it always helps to be able to perform

basic mental math. That said, doctors and medical students don’t
need to be math wizards. A working knowledge of simple math is
often more than enough to excel in the medical field.
 WHAT MATH DO DOCTORS DO?
 Some examples of when doctors might use math include:
• Calculating medication dosages
• Interpreting medical research
• CAT scans and X-rays
• Surgical operations
• Predicting medical outcomes
 Calculating medication dosages

THIS MAY BE THE MOST COMMON APPLICATION OF MATHEMATICS

IN DAY-TO-DAY MEDICINE. EVERY TIME A DOCTOR PRESCRIBES
MEDICINE FOR A PATIENT, THEY HAVE TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH
OF THE DRUG THE PATIENT SHOULD GET AND HOW OFTEN.
PHARMACOLOGY USES THE METRIC SYSTEM, SO MOST DOSAGE
INSTRUCTIONS REFER TO MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM (MG/KG) OF
BODY WEIGHT. HOWEVER, MOST AMERICAN DOCTORS MEASURE
PATIENTS’ WEIGHT IN POUNDS. DOCTORS MUST CONVERT MG/KG TO
MILLIGRAMS PER POUND, WHICH REQUIRES WORKING
KNOWLEDGE OF:
RATIOS OR FRACTIONS
MULTIPLICATION
DIVISION
 CAT scans and X-rays

CAT (CT) SCANS AND X-RAYS VISUALIZE THE BODY USING

DIFFERENT SHADES OF GRAY BASED ON THE DENSITY OF BODY
TISSUE. THIS IMAGING RELIES ON MATHEMATICAL FUNCTIONS.
IMAGINE MACHINE DESIGNERS AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS MUST
UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT THE CORRECT MATHEMATICAL
FUNCTIONS. MANY COMPUTER SCIENTISTS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
PROFESSIONALS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MODERN MEDICAL
IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES.