Measuring

Measuring - Episode 28
Medication for kids are usually in liquid form and require some kind of device to accurately measure the dose.
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml
1 fl oz = 30 ml
Milliliters = ml = cc = cubic centimeters --> all the same
Kitchen spoons and cooking teaspoons are not accurately calibrated to measure medication.
Example
100 mg/5 ml = 20 mg/ml
Incorrect spoon #1:  4 ml < 5 ml (80 mg < 100 mg)
Incorrect spoon #2: 3.5 ml < 5 ml (75 mg < 100 mg)
Incorrect spoon #3: 6 ml > 5 ml (120 mg > 100 mg)
The cups that come with liquid OTC medications are calibrated accurately to measure medication.
Restaurant spoons are HUGE sometimes.
Maximum error when testing kitchen spoons is a 40% error (meaning it could be 40% below or 40% above the standard of 5 ml in a teaspoon).  For a 500 mg/5ml medication - a 40% error is equal to 200 mg too much or 200 mg too few.  That could mean the difference in not being treated adequately and leading to complications (i.e. infec