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A healthcare provider orders nitroprusside (100 mcg/1 mL) 3 mcg/kg/minute for a patient weighing 154 lb.
What rate (mL/hr) should the nurse program into the IV pump?

A.

1.26 mL/hr

B.

126 mL/hr

C.

1260 mL/hr

D.

12.6 mL/hr

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

To answer this question, we need to calculate the infusion rate in mL per hour by using the following formula²:
 
Infusion rate (mL/h) = Dose (mcg/kg/min) × Weight (kg) × 60 min/h × Volume (mL) / Concentration (mcg/mL)

In this case, the infusion rate is:

Infusion rate (mL/h) = 3 mcg/kg/min × 70 kg × 60 min/h × 250 mL / 2500 mg

We need to convert lb to kg by dividing by 2.2

Infusion rate (mL/h) = 3 mcg/kg/min × (154 lb / 2.2 kg/lb) × 60 min/h × 250 mL / 2500 mg

We need to convert mg to mcg by multiplying by 1000:

Infusion rte (mL/h) = 3 mcg/kg/min × (154 lb / 2.2 kg/lb) × 60 min/h × 250 mL / (2500 mg × 1000 mcg/mg)

We can simplify the equation by canceling out some units and numbers:

Infusion rate (mL/h) = 3 × 154 × 250 / (2.2 × 2500 × 1000)

We can use a calculator to get the final answer:

Infusion rate (mL/h) = 12.6363636363636 mL/h
 


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Related Questions

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

This numeric form is appropriate, according to the Joint Commission, because it does not use a trailing zero after a decimal point, which is a common cause of medication errors and should be avoided. A trailing zero may be misread or misinterpreted as a larger dose or omited altogether, resulting in a 10-fold overdose or underdose, respectively. For example, when prescriptions have been writen for "Coumadin 1.0 mg," patients have received 10 mg in error¹². Therefore, the Joint Commission requires that a trailing zero may be used only when required to demonstrate the level of precision of the value being reported, such as for laboratory results, imaging studies that report the size of lesions, or catheter/tube sizes. It may not be used in medication orders or other medication-related documentation.


The other options are not appropriate numeric forms because:


a) 3.0 uses a trailing zero after a decimal point, which poses a risk of confusion or error.

b) 0.30 uses a trailing zero after a decimal point, which poses a risk of confusion or error.

c) 0.03 is not equivalent to 0.3, as it is 10 times smaller.

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

To calculate the rate of infusion, we need to divide the total volume to be infused (1.5 L) by the total time of infusion (24 hours)

1.5 L = 1500 mL (since 1 L = 1000 mL)

Dividing 1500 mL by 24 hours gives us the rate of 62.5 mL/hr.

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