Final answer:
The infusion pump for a dopamine drip prescribed at 4 mcg/kg/min for a 70 kg patient using a dopamine bag of concentration 400 mg/250 ml should be set to 10.5 ml/hr.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the infusion pump setting in ml/hr for a dopamine drip prescribed as 4 mcg/kg/min for a patient weighing 70 kg, we first need to convert the order into a total amount of dopamine required per minute for this patient. Then, using the concentration of the dopamine bag (400 mg/250 ml), we convert this amount to ml per minute, and finally to ml per hour.
The total amount of dopamine needed per minute is:
4 mcg/kg/min x 70 kg = 280 mcg/min.
Since there are 1,000 mcg in a mg, we convert 280 mcg/min to mg:
280 mcg/min / 1,000 = 0.28 mg/min.
Now convert the dopamine bag concentration to mg per ml:
400 mg / 250 ml = 1.6 mg/ml.
Next, determine how many ml of the solution are needed per minute to provide 0.28 mg:
0.28 mg/min / 1.6 mg/ml = 0.175 ml/min.
Finally, convert ml/min to ml/hr:
0.175 ml/min x 60 min/hr = 10.5 ml/hr.
The infusion pump should be set to 10.5 ml/hr.