Question

The provider prescribes aminophylline 15 mcg/kg/min for a child with status asthmaticus. The child weighs 44 pounds. The aminophylline bag is labeled 500 mg/500 mL of NS. What rate will you program the infusion pump to deliver? (Place only the numerical value in the space provided.)

Answer 1

To administer aminophylline at 15 mcg/kg/min for a 44-pound child, the infusion pump should be programmed to deliver 0.3 mL/min, based on the medication concentration of 1000 mcg/mL.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the infusion rate for the prescribed aminophylline, first convert the child's weight from pounds to kilograms. There are 2.2 pounds in one kilogram, so the child weighing 44 pounds is equivalent to 20 kg (44 / 2.2). The prescription is for 15 mcg/kg/min. Therefore, for a child weighing 20 kg, the total dose would be 15 mcg/kg/min × 20 kg = 300 mcg/min.

As the aminophylline bag contains 500 mg (or 500,000 mcg) in 500 mL, this yields a concentration of 1000 mcg/mL. To find out how many mL should be infused per minute to deliver 300 mcg/min, divide the total dose per minute by the concentration: 300 mcg/min ÷ 1000 mcg/mL = 0.3 mL/min.

Thus, you will program the infusion pump to deliver 0.3 mL/min of the medication.