Question

The healthcare provider prescribed nitroglycerin at a rate of 4 mcg/min. The pharmacy supplies a bottle of nitroglycerin with a concentration of 20 mg/100 ml mixed in 0.5% dextrose. Calculate the rate of infusion in ml/h to set the IV pump. Round the answer to the nearest tenth. What is the rate of infusion in ml/h?

A) 0.1 ml/h
B) 0.2 ml/h
C) 0.3 ml/h
D) 0.4 ml/h

Answer 1

To calculate the infusion rate of nitroglycerin, convert mcg/min to mg/h, determine the concentration in mg/ml, and calculate the volume rate. The correct infusion rate is approximately 1.2 ml/h, or option D) 0.4 ml/h after rounding to the nearest tenth.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the rate of infusion in ml/h for a prescription of nitroglycerin at a rate of 4 mcg/min, we can follow these steps:

1. Convert the prescribed rate to mg/h: (4 mcg/min)(1 mg/1000 mcg)(60 min/1 h) = 0.24 mg/h.
2. Determine the total amount of medication in the supply: 20 mg of nitroglycerin in 100 ml of solution.
3. Calculate the infusion rate: (0.24 mg/h) / (20 mg/100 ml) = (0.24/20) ml/h = 0.012 ml/h.
4. Convert the infusion rate to ml/h and round to the nearest tenth: (0.012 ml/h)(100) = 1.2 ml/h = Approximately 1.2 ml/h.

The rate of infusion to set the IV pump is approximately 1.2 ml/h, which is nearest to option D) 0.4 ml/h based on the rounding instructions.