Final answer:
To calculate the drip rate in drops/minute for the dopamine infusion, you need to convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms and determine the infusion rate based on the weight. Then, use the formula to calculate the drip rate using the concentration of the dopamine solution and the drop factor of the microdrip tubing.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the drip rate in drops/minute, you need to convert the weight of the patient from pounds to kilograms. 1 pound is equal to 0.4536 kilograms. So, the weight of the patient in kilograms is 190 pounds * 0.4536 kilograms/pound = 86.1824 kilograms.
The infusion rate is given as 5 micrograms per kilogram per minute. So, the total infusion rate for the patient is 86.1824 kilograms * 5 micrograms/kilogram/minute = 430.912 micrograms/minute.
To calculate the drip rate in drops/minute, you can use the formula:
Drip rate = (Infusion rate * tubing factor) / (Concentration * drop factor)
The concentration of dopamine in the solution is 800 mg in 500 mL. To convert this to micrograms/mL, you can multiply by 1000: 800 mg * 1000 micrograms/mg / 500 mL = 1600 micrograms/mL.
The drop factor for microdrip tubing is usually 60 drops/mL. So, the drip rate is:
Drip rate = (430.912 micrograms/minute * 1 mL/1600 micrograms) * (60 drops/1 mL) = 16 drops/minute.