A client diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism has a documented admission weight of 187 lbs. The healthcare provider orders a continuous intravenous (IV) heparin infusion at a dose of 18 units/kg/hr. The pharmacy dispenses an IV bag containing 25,000 units of heparin in 250 mL of 5% dextrose in water. Calculate the required infusion pump rate in mL/hr. (Round the answer to the nearest tenth.)
Answer: 15.3 mL/hr
Answer
15.3
To safely administer a weight-based continuous intravenous infusion, the nurse must first establish the client's weight in kilograms ( kg). The weight is then multiplied by the ordered dose to find the hourly medication requirement (). Finally, the nurse determines the fluid volume needed to deliver this dose by dividing the hourly requirement by the concentration of the IV solution (). Therefore, .
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Weight-Based Intravenous Medication Calculation
Alternative Method
Dimensional analysis can be used to set up the entire equation in one continuous step: .
Estimated Time:1m 30s