Chapter 07: Methods of Calculation for Individualized Drug Dosing
Kee: Clinical Calculations, 8th Edition

OTHER

Body Surface Area by Square Root

	1.	Order: cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 in 500 mL of normal saline solution (NSS) over 90 minutes
Patient height and weight: 5 ft 10 in, 142 lb
Drug available: cyclophosphamide 100 mg dilute with 5 mL of sterile water; yields 20 mg/mL

a. What is the patient’s body surface area (BSA) (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?
c. How many milliliters should you prepare?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 500 mg/m2 ´ 1.78 m2 = 890 mg

c. FE: 890 mg/100 mg ´ 5 mL = 44.5 mL

OR

	2.	Order: cisplatin 50 mg/m2 in 500 mL of NSS intravenously over 90 minutes
Patient height and weight: 5 ft 6 in, 160 lb
Drug available: cisplatin 100 mg/100 mL
a. What is the patient’s BSA (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?
c. How many milliliters should you prepare?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 50 mg ´ 1.84 m2 = 92 mg

c. FE: 92 mg/100 mg ´ 100 mL = 92 mL

OR

For the following questions, use the square root method and/or nomogram. Note discrepancies between methods.

	3.	Give dacarbazine 250 mg/m2/day ´ 5 days.
Patient height: 5 ft 10 in
Patient weight: 173 lb
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 
250 mg/m2/day ´ 1.97 m2 = 493 mg/day

b. Height 70 in, weight 173 lb, intersects 2.02 m2
250 mg/m2/day ´ 2.02 m2 = 505  500 mg/day

	4.	Give 5-fluorouracil 450 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 5 ft 6 in
Patient weight: 210 lb
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 
450 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.10 m2 = 945 mg/wk

b. Height 66 in, weight 210 lb, intersects 2.04 m2
450 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.04 m2 = 918  920 mg/wk

	5.	Give leucovorin 200 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 5 ft 6 in
Patient weight: 210 lb
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	

a. 
200 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.10 m2 = 420 mg/wk

b. Height 66 in, weight 210 lb, intersects 2.04 m2
200 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.04 m2 = 408.00  400 mg/wk

	6.	Give cisplatin 30 mg/m2/day ´ 3 days.
Patient height: 70 in
Patient weight: 80 kg
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 80 kg ´ 2.2 = 176 lb

30 mg/m2/day ´ 1.98 m2 = 59.4  59 mg/day

b. Height 70 in, weight 80 kg, intersects 2.08 m2
30 mg/m2/day ´ 2.08 m2 = 62.4  62 mg/day

	7.	Give cisplatinum 80 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 6 ft 2 in
Patient weight: 186 lb
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 
80 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.09 m2 = 167.2 mg/wk

b. Height 74 in, weight 186 lb, intersects 2.10 m2
80 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.10 m2 = 168  170 mg/wk

	8.	Give etoposide 120 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 74 in
Patient weight: 70 kg
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 70 kg ´ 2.2 = 154 lb

120 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.91 m2 = 229.2 mg/wk

b. Height 74 in, weight 70 kg, intersects 2.06 m2
120 mg/m2/ wk ´ 2.06 m2 = 247.2  250 mg/wk

	9.	Give Cytoxan 600 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 70 in
Patient weight: 85 kg
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 85 kg ´ 2.2 = 187 lb

600 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.04 m2 = 1224 or 1225 mg/wk

b. Height 70 in, weight 85 kg, intersects 2.08 m2
600 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.08 m2 = 1248  1250 mg/wk

	10.	Give Adriamycin 60 mg/m2/wk.
Patient height: 70 in
Patient weight: 80 kg
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 80 kg ´ 2.2 = 176 lb

60 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.98 m2 = 118.8 mg/wk = 119 mg/wk

b. Height 70 in, weight 80 kg, intersects 2.04 m2
60 mg/m2/wk ´ 2.04 m2 = 122.4 mg/wk.

	11.	Give vincristine 2 mg/m2/week.
Patient height: 62 in
Patient weight: 75 kg
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 75 kg ´ 2.2 = 165 lb

2 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.81 m2 = 3.62 = 3.6 mg/wk

b. Height 62 in, weight 75 kg, intersects 1.78 m2
2 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.78 m2 = 3.56  3.6 mg/wk

	12.	Give mitomycin 15 mg/m2/week.
Patient height: 65 in
Patient weight: 64 kg
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 64 kg ´ 2.2 = 140.8 or 141 lb

15 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.71 m2 = 25.6 or 26 mg/wk

b. Height 65 in, weight 64 kg, intersects 1.75 m2
15 mg/m2/wk ´ 1.75 m2 = 26.25  26 mg/wk

	13.	Give mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2/day ´ 3 days.
Patient height: 5 ft 8 in
Patient weight: 150 lb
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 
12 mg/m2/day ´ 1.80 m2 = 21.6 or 22 mg/day

b. Height 68 in, weight 150 lb, intersects 1.85 m2
12 mg/m2/day ´ 1.85 m2 = 22.2  22 mg/day

	14.	Give cytosine arabinoside 100 mg/m2/day ´ 7 days.
Patient height: 5 ft 2 in
Patient weight: 130 lb
What is the weekly dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 
100 mg/m2/day ´ 1.6 m2 = 160 mg/day

b. Height 62 in, weight 130 lb, intersects 1.65 m2
100 mg/m2/day ´ 1.65 m2 = 165 mg/day

	15.	Give methotrexate 3.3 mg/m2/day ´ 7 days.
Patient height: 72 in
Patient weight: 82 kg
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 82 kg ´ 2.2 = 180.4 lb

3.3 mg/m2/day ´ 2.04 m2 = 6.7 mg/day

b. Height 72 in, weight 82 kg, intersects 2.10 m2
3.3 mg/m2/day ´ 2.10 m2 = 6.93  6.9 mg/day

	16.	Give prednisone 60 mg/m2/day ´ 7 days.
Patient height: 72 in
Patient weight: 84 kg
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 84 kg ´ 2.2 = 184.8 or 185 lb

60 mg/m2/day ´ 2.06 m2 = 123.6 or 124 mg/day

b. Height 72 in, weight 84 kg, intersects 2.10 m2
60 mg/m2/day ´ 2.10 m2 = 126 mg/day

	17.	Give idarubicin hydrochloride 12 mg/m2/day ´ 3 days.
Patient height: 60 in
Patient weight: 60 kg
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 60 kg ´ 2.2 = 132 lb

12 mg/m2/day ´ 1.59 m2 = 19.1 or 19 mg/day

b. Height 60 in, weight 60 kg, intersects 1.60 m2
12 mg/m2/day ´ 1.60 m2 = 19.2  19 mg/day

	18.	Give cytarabine 100 mg/m2/day ´ 7 days.
Patient height: 64 in
Patient weight: 65 kg
What is the daily dose with

a. square root method?
b. nomogram?

ANS:	
a. 65 kg ´ 2.2 = 143 lb

100 mg/m2/day ´ 1.71 m2 = 171 mg/day

b. Height 64 in, weight 60 kg, intersects 1.69 m2
100 mg/m2/day ´ 1.69 m2 = 169  170 mg/day

	19.	Order: streptozocin 1000 mg/m2 in 100 mL D5W over 2 hours
Patient’s height and weight: 5 ft 2 in and 210 lb
Drug available: streptozocin 1 g powdered vial, reconstitute with 9.5 mL NS; yields 100 mg/mL

a. What is the patient’s BSA (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?
c. How many milliliters should you prepare?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 2.04 m2 ´ 1000 mg/m2 = 2040 mg

c. 

	20.	Order: methotrexate 3 mg/m2 PO ´ 2 weekly
Patient’s height and weight: 5 ft 2 in and 130 lb
Drug available: methotrexate tablets 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg

a. What is the patient’s BSA (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 1.6 m2 ´ 3 mg/m2 = 4.8 mg or 5 mg tablet twice a week

	21.	Order: sargramostim 250 mcg/m2/day, dilute in 50 mL and infuse over 2 hours
Patient’s height and weight: 5 ft 10 in and 285 lb
Drug available: sargramostim 500 mcg/mL

a. What is the patient’s BSA (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?
c. How many milliliters should you prepare?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 2.52 m2 ´ 250 mcg/m2 = 630 mcg

c. 

	22.	Order: clofarabine 52 mg/m2 daily and infuse in 250 mL D5W over 2 hours
Patient’s height and weight: 5 ft 4 in and 115 lb
Drug available: 20 mg/20 mL

a. What is the patient’s BSA (m2)?
b. What is the total dose?
c. How many milliliters should you prepare?

ANS:	
a. 

b. 1.53 m2 ´ 52 mg/m2 = 79.56 mg or 80 mg

c. 

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