Question

Orders lidocane infusion to be started at 30 mcg/kg/min. patient weighs 298 lbs. supply reads 4mg/ml. how many ml/hr will be administeered

Answer 1

To calculate the ml/hr for a lidocaine infusion based on a patient's weight and medication concentration, one must convert the weight to kilograms, calculate the total dosage in micrograms per minute, convert to milligrams per hour, and finally divide by the supply concentration to find the ml/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking how to calculate the delivery rate in milliliters per hour (ml/hr) for a lidocaine infusion based on the patient's weight in pounds and the medication concentration. To answer the question, we first need to convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms since the doctor's order is in micrograms per kilogram per minute (mcg/kg/min). After conversion, we will use the formula to find out the dosage in micrograms per minute, and then adjust it to ml/hr considering the supply concentration.

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2 (1 kg = 2.2 lbs).
2. Multiply the weight in kilograms by the ordered infusion rate to find the total dosage required per minute.
3. Convert the dosage in micrograms per minute to milligrams per hour by dividing by 1000 (to convert micrograms to milligrams) and multiplying by 60 (to convert minutes to hours).
4. Divide the total milligrams per hour by the supply concentration to find the ml/hr to be administered.

In the provided example, a healthcare professional would not immediately run to a cabinet to take out an IV bag without verifying the correct concentration and dosage, just as a responsible calculation must be performed when administering lidocaine or any other drug to ensure patient safety.