A nurse is caring for a client who is admitted with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The heal… — NCLEX-RN

A nurse is caring for a client who is admitted with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The healthcare provider prescribes a continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of heparin at a rate of $18$ units/kg/hr. The client weighs $176$ lb. The pharmacy provides an IV bag containing $25,000$ units of heparin mixed in $250$ mL of $5\%$ dextrose in water (D5W). At what rate, in mL/hr, should the nurse set the IV infusion pump? (Round the answer to the nearest tenth.)

Answer: 14.4 mL/hr

Answer

14.4

To find the correct infusion rate, the nurse must first convert the client's weight to kilograms (

176 \text{ lb} \div 2.2 = 80 \text{ kg}

). Next, the weight is multiplied by the prescribed dose to find the hourly requirement (

80 \text{ kg} \times 18 \text{ units/kg/hr} = 1,440 \text{ units/hr}

). Finally, using the available concentration (

25,000 \text{ units} \div 250 \text{ mL} = 100 \text{ units/mL}

), the nurse calculates the volume needed per hour (

1,440 \text{ units/hr} \div 100 \text{ units/mL} = 14.4 \text{ mL/hr}

). The final answer is exactly

14.4

, which requires no further rounding.

Step-by-Step Solution

Convert the client's weight from pounds (lb) to kilograms (kg).

80

The heparin prescription is weight-based in kg, so the given weight in pounds must be converted using the standard factor

1 \text{ kg} = 2.2 \text{ lb}

Calculate the total hourly dose of heparin required in units.

1,440

units/hr

Multiplying the client's weight in kg by the prescribed dose per kg gives the total hourly requirement:

80 \text{ kg} \times 18 \text{ units/kg/hr}

Determine the concentration of the available heparin solution.

100

units/mL

Dividing the total units in the bag by the total volume yields the amount of medication in a single mL:

25,000 \text{ units} \div 250 \text{ mL}

Calculate the final IV infusion pump rate in mL/hr.

14.4

mL/hr

Dividing the required hourly dose by the solution concentration gives the volume needed per hour:

1,440 \text{ units/hr} \div 100 \text{ units/mL}

Key Concept

Weight-based intravenous medication dosage calculation and continuous infusion pump programming.

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