A nurse is preparing to administer 1 L of 0.9% sodium chloride solution to a client over 6 hours. The intravenous (IV) fluid has a drop factor of 15 gt/mL. What will be the gt/min flow rate?

To find the answer, we need to convert the units of the medication order and the infusion rate to the same units. We can use the following conversions:

1 mcg = 0.001 mg 1 kg = 1000 g 1 min = 60 s 1 h = 3600 s

The medication order is 140 mcg/kg/min, which means the patient needs 140 mcg of medication per kilogram of body weight per minute. The patient weighs 60 kg, so we multiply 140 mcg by 60 kg to get the total amount of medication per minute:

140 mcg/kg/min x 60 kg = 8400 mcg/min

We then convert this to milligrams by dividing by 1000:

8400 mcg/min / 1000 = 8.4 mg/min

The infusion rate is 10 mL/h, which means the patient receives 10 mL of fluid per hour. We convert this to minutes by dividing by 60:

10 mL/h / 60 = 0.167 mL/min

We can now find the concentration of the medication in the fluid by dividing the amount of medication per minute by the amount of fluid per minute:

8.4 mg/min / 0.167 mL/min = 50.3 mg/mL

This means that for every milliliter of fluid, there are 50.3 milligrams of medication. To find how many milligrams of medication are in one hour, we multiply the concentration by the infusion rate:

50.3 mg/mL x 10 mL/h = 503 mg/h

This is the total amount of medication that the patient receives in one hour. To find how many milligrams are in one dose, we divide this by the number of doses per hour, which is one:

503 mg/h / 1 dose/h = 503 mg/dose

This is the final answer, but we need to round it to the nearest tenth, as per the instructions: 503 mg/dose ≈ 67.2 mg/dose

Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. It is usually injected into the fat layer just under the skin (subcutaneous or SubQ) using a syringe and needle or a pen-like device². Insulin syringes are marked in units of insulin, not milliliters or cubic centimeters. The most common insulin syringe holds 1 mL of fluid and has markings for 100 units of insulin². A U-100 syringe means that for every 1 mL of fluid, there are 100 units of insulin³.
To administer 14 units of insulin, you would need to draw up 0.14 mL of fluid in a U-100 syringe. You would inject the insulin into your abdomen, upper arm, butocks, hip, or the front or side of the thigh¹. You would use a different area within the site each time you inject insulin to prevent lumps, swelling, or thickened skin¹.

The other options are incorrect because:

b) There is no need to divide the dose into two injections. This would increase the risk of infection and pain.

c) A tuberculin syringe is not designed for insulin administration. It is marked in milliliters or cubic centimeters, not units of insulin. Using a tuberculin syringe could result in an incorrect dose of insulin.

d) The timing of insulin administration depends on the type and duration of insulin. Some insulins are taken before meals, some are taken after meals, and some are taken once or twice a day. The primary healthcare provider should specify when to take the insulin.