Question

A nurse is preparing to administer nitroprusside 7 mcg/kg/min by continuous IV infusion to a client who weighs 63 kg. Available is nitroprusside 50 mg in 250 ml dextrose 5% in water (D5W). The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many ml/hr?

Answer 1

To administer nitroprusside at a rate of 7 mcg/kg/min to a 63 kg patient, the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver 132.3 ml/hr based on the concentration provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the IV pump flow rate for administering nitroprusside, first we need to determine the total mcg per minute:

• 7 mcg/kg/min × 63 kg = 441 mcg/min

Next, we convert the total milligrams in the IV bag to micrograms:

• 50 mg = 50,000 mcg

Now, we calculate how many ml contains the necessary 441 mcg/min:

• (441 mcg/min) × (250 ml / 50,000 mcg) = 2.205 ml/min

Finally, to find the flow rate in ml/hr, we multiply by 60 minutes:

• 2.205 ml/min × 60 min/hr = 132.3 ml/hr

The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver 132.3 ml/hr.