Measuring Oral Liquid

Introduction

While dispensing cough syrup to a patient (I counselled him to take 10 ml 3 times a day), the patient questioned if it was equivalent to a tablespoon.

Teaspoon and Tablespoon

The conversion from teaspoon or tablespoon to millilitres is as below:

• 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml

However, a household silverware or tableware spoon are not uniformly sized, so they should not be used for measuring medication.

• A typical household teaspoon can hold between 3 and 7 millilitres depending on its size.

Syringe

To ensure accuracy, a syringe should ideally be used when dosing liquid medications.

• The smallest syringe that can hold the desired amount of volume should be used to maximize accuracy.
• It is important to avoid drawing up to the maximum capacity of the syringe to prevent the plunger from dislodging.

NOTE: Dosing cups that come with the liquid medications are fine to use. However, errors have occurred when dose cups intended for one product was used with another with a different strength.

Summary

Even with the correct labels on prescription medications, some parents may not strictly adhere to the prescribed dosage instructions.

• This can lead to either underdosing or overdosing the medication, both of which can have serious consequences for their children's health.
• To minimize this risk, it is best to ensure parents are provided with a measuring syringe for home use, or that they have one readily available.

External Links

• Kitchen spoons shouldn’t be used for measuring oral liquid doses, 2010
  
• There’s a chance your measuring spoons aren’t accurate, 2018
  
• Administration of medicines to children: a practical guide, 2022
  
• SafeMedication - Liquid Medications