Question

A nurse is preparing to administer dopamine hydrochloride 4 mcg/kg/min via continuous infusion. Available is dopamine hydrochloride in a solution of 800 mg in a 250 ml bag. The client weighs 80 kg. The nurses should set the IV infusion to deliver how many mL/hr.? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number)

Answer 1

To calculate the mL/hr for the dopamine infusion, use the formula V₁ = (C₁ × W × 60) / (C₂ × 1000), where V₁ is the desired infusion rate in mL/hr, C₁ is the concentration of dopamine in mcg/kg/min, W is the weight of the client in kg, and C₂ is the concentration of the dopamine solution in mg/mL. Applying this formula to the given values, the nurse should set the IV infusion to deliver approximately 6 mL/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the mL/hr for the dopamine infusion, we can use the formula:

V₁ = (C₁ × W × 60) / (C₂ × 1000)
Where:
- V₁ is the desired infusion rate in mL/hr
- C₁ is the concentration of dopamine in mcg/kg/min
- W is the weight of the client in kg
- C₂ is the concentration of the dopamine solution in mg/mL

in this case, C₁ = 4 mcg/kg/min, W = 80 kg, and C₂ = (800 mg / 250 mL) = 3.2 mg/mL.

Substituting these values into the formula gives:

V₁ = (4 mcg/kg/min × 80 kg × 60) / (3.2 mg/mL × 1000)

Simplifying the expression:

V₁ ≈ 6 mL/hr

Therefore, the nurse should set the IV infusion to deliver approximately 6 mL/hr.

Answer 2

To calculate the IV infusion rate for dopamine hydrochloride, we need to multiply the weight of the client by the prescribed rate per kg per min, convert mcg to mg, and then calculate the mL/hr using the concentration of the solution. In this case, the IV infusion rate should be set to 6 mL/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the IV infusion rate, we need to determine the total amount of dopamine hydrochloride delivered per minute and then convert it to mL/hr. First, we need to calculate the total amount of dopamine hydrochloride delivered per minute by multiplying the weight of the client (80 kg) by the prescribed rate (4 mcg/kg/min): 80 kg x 4 mcg/kg/min = 320 mcg/min. Next, we need to convert mcg to mg by dividing by 1000: 320 mcg/min ÷ 1000 = 0.32 mg/min. Now, we need to convert mg/min to mL/hr using the concentration of the solution. The solution contains 800 mg of dopamine hydrochloride in a 250 ml bag, so the concentration is 800 mg/250 ml or 3.2 mg/ml. To find the mL/hr, we divide 0.32 mg/min by the concentration of the solution: 0.32 mg/min ÷ 3.2 mg/ml = 0.1 ml/min. Finally, we convert ml/min to mL/hr by multiplying by 60 (number of minutes in an hour): 0.1 ml/min x 60 min/hr = 6 mL/hr.