Question

A nurse is preparing to administer lidocaine 2 mg/min by continuous IV infusion. Available is lidocaine 2 g in 500 ml dextrose 5% in water (D5W). The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many ml/hr?

Answer 1

To administer lidocaine at a rate of 2 mg/min from a 2 g in 500 ml D5W solution, the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver 30 ml/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking how to calculate the proper IV pump setting to administer lidocaine at a rate of 2 mg/min, given a solution of lidocaine 2 g in 500 ml D5W. We start with the dosage required: 2 mg/min. With 2 g (2000 mg) of lidocaine in 500 ml, the concentration is 2000 mg / 500 ml = 4 mg/ml.

To administer 2 mg/min, we need: 2 mg/min ÷ 4 mg/ml = 0.5 ml/min. To convert ml/min to ml/hr multiply by 60 min/hr, giving us:

0.5 ml/min × 60 min/hr = 30 ml/hr.

Therefore, the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver 30 ml/hr to administer lidocaine at the prescribed rate.