Final answer:
To calculate the esmolol dosage, first, the total amount in mg is determined, then divided by the solution volume to find the concentration. This concentration is multiplied by the infusion rate to obtain the dosage in mg/hr, which is then divided by 60 to get mg/min.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the correct dosage of esmolol in mg/hr and mg/min, we must first understand the concentration of the drug within the solution which is 1.5 g in 450 mL of D5W.
The physician has ordered a dose to be infused at 36 mL/hr.
Step 1: Convert the total amount of esmolol from grams to milligrams:
1.5 g × 1000 mg/g = 1500 mg.
Step 2: Calculate how many milligrams are in each milliliter of solution:
1500 mg ÷ 450 mL = 3.333 mg/mL.
Step 3: Determine the amount being infused per hour:
3.333 mg/mL × 36 mL/hr = 120 mg/hr.
Step 4: To find the dosage in milligrams per minute (mg/min):
120 mg/hr ÷ 60 min/hr = 2 mg/min.