Bedside calculators

The scores that change your order.

A focused toolbox of the clinical scores most relevant to inpatient medication order entry. Each one is live, deterministic, and shows you exactly what to do with the result — not just the number.

Creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault)

Estimates renal function for renally-cleared drug dosing. Uses actual body weight unless obese (use IBW or ABW).

Age (years)

Sex

Weight (kg)

Serum creatinine (mg/dL)

CrCl

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Affects orders

Renal-dose vancomycin, DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran), enoxaparin, gabapentin, opioids (esp. morphine, tramadol), and many antibiotics whenever CrCl < 60.

Ideal & adjusted body weight

Devine formula. Used for aminoglycosides, neuromuscular blockade, opioid PCA basal, vancomycin (ABW if obese).

Sex

Height (in)

Actual weight (kg)

for ABW only

IBW

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ABW

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Affects orders

Use IBW for aminoglycoside loading and neuromuscular blockers. Use ABW for vancomycin and enoxaparin when actual > 1.2× IBW.

BMI

Body mass index — context for dosing decisions and VTE-prophylaxis selection.

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

BMI

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Affects orders

VTE prophylaxis: enoxaparin 40 mg SC daily if BMI < 40; consider 40 mg BID or 0.5 mg/kg if BMI ≥ 40.

Corrected calcium

Albumin-corrected calcium. Required when albumin is abnormal — otherwise the total Ca underestimates ionized Ca.

Total Ca (mg/dL)

Albumin (g/dL)

Corrected Ca

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Affects orders

If symptomatic hypocalcemia: IV calcium gluconate 1–2 g (each amp = 1 g) over 10 min, then infusion. If hypercalcemia > 14 or symptomatic: IV NS 200–300 mL/hr + calcitonin / bisphosphonate.

Anion gap

Na − (Cl + HCO₃). Optional albumin correction. Elevated AG = MUDPILES workup.

HCO₃

Alb (opt)

Anion gap

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Albumin-corrected

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Affects orders

High AG → start IV fluids (LR or NS), consider source-specific Rx (insulin + dextrose for DKA, fomepizole for toxic alcohol, dialysis for severe / refractory).

Morphine milligram equivalents (MME / day)

CDC opioid-prescribing conversion. Use when titrating, switching opioids, or co-prescribing benzodiazepines.

Opioid

Dose each (mg)

Doses / day

Morphine PO · factor 1 — Baseline for the MME scale (factor 1.0).

MME / day

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Affects orders

≥ 50 MME/day → document risk + offer naloxone. ≥ 90 MME/day → avoid in opioid-naïve; require risk-mitigation plan. Avoid co-prescribing benzodiazepines at any MME.