Question

The order is to begin a dopamine infusion at 3 mcg/kg/min for a patient with hypotension; 800 mg of dopamine is added to 250 mL of 0.9% NS. The patient's weight is 70 kg. The nurse needs to calculate the rate, in milliliters per hour, at which to set the IV pump.?

Answer 1

The nurse should set the IV pump to a rate of approximately 3,937.5 mL/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the rate at which to set the IV pump, we need to use the formula:

C₁V₁ = C₂V₂

Given:

• C₁ = 800 mg (concentration of dopamine)
• V₁ = rate in mL/hr (what we need to find)
• C₂ = 3 mcg/kg/min (desired concentration)
• V₂ = 250 mL (total volume of solution)

We can rearrange the formula to solve for V₁:

V₁ = (C₂ x V₂) / C₁

First, let's convert mcg to mg:

3 mcg/kg/min x 60 min/hr x 70 kg = 12,600 mcg/hr

Next, we can substitute the values into the formula:

V₁ = (12,600 mcg/hr x 250 mL) / 800 mg

Simplifying the calculation:

V₁ = 3,937.5 mL/hr

Therefore, the nurse should set the IV pump to a rate of approximately 3,937.5 mL/hr.