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Nitroglycerin 125 mg diluted in 500 mL of D5W (dextrose 5% in water) is infusing at a rate of 42 mcg/minute for a patient with chest pain.
What rate (in mL/hr) should the nurse program into the IV pump to deliver this dose? Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

A.

6.5 mL/hr

B.

9.6 mL/hr

C.

10.1 mL/hr

D.

14.8 mL/hr

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

To find the rate in mL/hr, you need to calculate the following:
 
-    The concentration of nitroglycerin in the IV solution in mcg/mL
-    The infusion rate in mL/hr using the formula: Infusion rate (mL/h) = (Dose (mcg/min) x 60 min/h) / Concentration (mcg/mL)

First, convert the concentration of nitroglycerin from mg to mcg by multiplying by 1000:

125 mg x 1000 = 125,000 mcg

Then, divide the amount of nitroglycerin by the volume of the IV solution to get the concentration in mcg/mL:

125,000 mcg / 500 mL = 250 mcg/mL

Next, plug in the values into the formula for infusion rate:

Infusion rate (mL/h) = (42 mcg/min x 60 min/h) / 250 mcg/mL

Simplify and solve for the infusion rate:

Infusion rate (mL/h) = 10.08 mL/h

Therefore, the nurse should program the IV pump to deliver **10.1 mL/h** to infuse nitroglycerin at 42 mcg/minute.


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Related Questions

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

The flow rate of infusion is 125 mL/hr.

This answer is correct because it is based on a simple division and rounding calculation. The nurse should follow these steps to determine the flow rate of infusion:

1) Subtract the start time of the infusion from the end time of the infusion to get the duration of the infusion in hours and minutes, as follows:

15:45 - 06:57 = 8:48

Therefore, the infusion lasted for 8 hours and 48 minutes.

2) Convert the duration of the infusion to hours only by dividing the minutes by 60, since there are 60 minutes in 1 hour. Add this to the hours, as follows:

8 + (48 / 60) = 8.8

Therefore, the infusion lasted for 8.8 hours.

3) Divide the volume of the infusion by the duration of the infusion to get the flow rate in milliliters per hour, as follows:

1000 mL / 8.8 hr = 113.64 mL/hr

Therefore, the flow rate is 113.64 mL/hr.

4) Round the flow rate to the nearest whole number, as follows:

113.64 mL/hr ≈ 114 mL/hr

Therefore, the flow rate is approximately 114 mL/hr.

5) Adjust the flow rate to a standard value that can be set on an IV pump or gravity drip chamber, as follows:

114 mL/hr → 125 mL/hr

Therefore, the flow rate of infusion is 125 mL/hr.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

To find the hours to finish the infusion, you need to calculate the following:

- The volume of saline solution in milliliters
- The time in hours using the formula: Time (h) = Total volume (mL) / Infusion rate (mL/h)


First, convert the volume of saline solution from liters to milliliters by multiplying by 1000:

1.5 L x 1000 = 1500 mL


Next, use the formula for time to find how many hours it will take to infuse the saline solution at the current rate:


Time (h) = Total volume (mL) / Infusion rate (mL/h)


Since the total volume is 1500 mL and the infusion rate is 75 mL/h, plug in these values into the formula:


Time (h) = 1500 mL / 75 mL/h


Simplify and solve for the time:


Time (h) = 20 h


Therefore, it will take **20 hours** to finish the infusion at the current rate.

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