Although people often use dosages and dosages Interchangeably, these terms have very different meanings. By adding the suffix -age to the base dose, we mean an adjustable amount, a differentiation similar to the words mile and mileage .
Definitions of dose and posology
According to the American Medical Association (AMA) Style Guide, a comprehensive guide to medical writing and style, dosage , and dosage has a very specific meaning.
Dose refers to a specific amount of medicine taken at one time. On the contrary, the dose It is the prescribed administration of a specific amount, quantity and frequency of doses over a period of time.
In other words, a dose is simply the amount (think weight) of a drug that is injected at a specific time. Whereas, the dose is the dose or quantity of a drug linked to a frequency of time. The dose determines the regimen of taking the drug.
Dose units
According to the AMA, drug doses are expressed in conventional metric mass units (such as milligrams or milligrams per kilogram), not in SI molar units. Furthermore, some drugs (such as insulin or heparin ) can be prepared in the form of mixtures and do not have a specific molecular weight, which makes it impossible to express them in terms of weight .
Although other drug dosage units, such as drops (for ophthalmic drugs), grains (for aspirin), and various pharmaceutical system measurements (such as teaspoons, ounces, and drams) can occur clinically, these units are not commonly used .
Using Tylenol as an example
Different types of Tylenol (acetaminophen) come in different strengths. The choice of a particular type or dose of Tylenol depends on the condition being treated. Doses also depend on the condition being treated.
Here are several different dosages of Tylenol :
- For mild pain, take 2 regular strength Tylenol tablets (325 mg per tablet) every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Do not exceed 10 tablets in 24 hours, and if pain persists for more than a day or two, see your doctor.
- For more severe pain (such as a severe headache), take 2 capsules of Tylenol Extra Strength (500 mg per capsule) every 6 hours as needed. Do not exceed 6 capsules per day. If the pain persists for more than a day or two, see your doctor.
- For arthritis pain, take 2 capsules of Tylenol Arthritis Pain (650 mg per capsule) every 8 hours as needed. Do not exceed 6 capsules per day.
