Question

The client has an order for dopamine 12.5 mcg/kg/min. The medication available is dopamine 400 mg/250 mL in 0.9% NS. The client weighs 187 lb. At what rate will the nurse set the infusion? ___ mL/hr (If needed, round to the nearest whole number)

Answer 1

To calculate the IV infusion rate, convert the patient's weight to kilograms, calculate the dose in mcg/min based on weight, convert that dose to mg/min and finally calculate the ml/hr rate using the medication's concentration.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question asks how to calculate the infusion rate for a dopamine intravenous (IV) medication order based on a specific concentration and the client's weight. First, convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms, knowing that 1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. Next, calculate the dose in micrograms per minute using the patient's weight and the ordered dose rate. Then calculate how many milligrams of dopamine are needed per minute, knowing that 1000 micrograms equal 1 milligram. Finally, since the concentration of the dopamine is known (400 mg in 250 mL of 0.9% NS), use it to determine the mL/hr rate at which the infusion pump should be set. The IV infusion rate calculation involves converting the dosage from micrograms per kilogram per minute to millilitres per hour using the concentration of the medication.