Question

You are going to start a dopamine infusion at 5 mcg/kg/min for bradycardia. You have mixed 400 mg into 250 mL of D5W. The patient weighs 180 pounds. What will be the infusion rate?

A. 15 gtt/min
B. 17 gtt/min
C. 39 gtt/min
D. none of the options are correct

Answer 1

To calculate the infusion rate for dopamine, you need to convert the weight of the patient to kilograms, calculate the dose in mcg/min, and then convert it to mL/hr. The infusion rate for a dopamine infusion at 5 mcg/kg/min for bradycardia would be approximately 15 gtt/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the infusion rate for dopamine, we need to determine the dose in mcg/min and then convert it to mL/hr. First, let's calculate the dose:

Convert 180 pounds to kilograms: 180 pounds / 2.2 = 81.82 kg

Calculate the dose: 5 mcg/kg/min x 81.82 kg = 409.1 mcg/min

Now, let's convert the dose to mL/hr:

Given that the mixture is 400 mg in 250 mL, we can calculate the concentration: 400 mg / 250 mL = 1.6 mg/mL

Convert the dose from mcg/min to mg/hr: 409.1 mcg/min x 1 mg / 1000 mcg x 60 min / 1 hr = 0.0245 mg/hr

Calculate the infusion rate: 0.0245 mg/hr / 1.6 mg/mL = 0.0153 mL/hr

Therefore, the infusion rate is approximately 0.0153 mL/hr, which is equivalent to 15 gtt/min. So, the correct option is A. 15 gtt/min.