Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumPharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

A client admitted with acute decompensated heart failure requires hemodynamic support. The prescribed treatment plan includes dobutamine to be administered at 7.5 mcg/kg/min7.5 \text{ mcg/kg/min}. The client's current weight is 198 lbs198 \text{ lbs}. The medication is supplied as 500 mg500 \text{ mg} of dobutamine mixed in 250 mL250 \text{ mL} of 5% dextrose in water5\% \text{ dextrose in water} (D5WD_5W). What is the required infusion pump rate in mL/hr\text{mL/hr}? (Round the final answer to the nearest tenth.)

Answer: 20.3 mL/hr

Answer

20.3
To find the correct pump rate in mL/hr\text{mL/hr}, the nurse must determine the total micrograms needed per hour (7.5 mcg×90 kg×60 minutes=40,500 mcg/hr7.5 \text{ mcg} \times 90 \text{ kg} \times 60 \text{ minutes} = 40,500 \text{ mcg/hr}) and divide it by the concentration of the available IV fluid (500,000 mcg÷250 mL=2,000 mcg/mL500,000 \text{ mcg} \div 250 \text{ mL} = 2,000 \text{ mcg/mL}). This calculation yields 20.25 mL/hr20.25 \text{ mL/hr}. Rounding to the nearest tenth provides the final correct rate of 20.3 mL/hr20.3 \text{ mL/hr}.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Convert the client's weight from pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg).
90 kg90 \text{ kg}
Medication dosing is prescribed based on weight in kilograms, so 198÷2.2=90198 \div 2.2 = 90.
2
Calculate the required dose per minute.
675 mcg/min675 \text{ mcg/min}
Multiply the prescribed dose (7.5 mcg/kg/min7.5 \text{ mcg/kg/min}) by the client's weight (90 kg90 \text{ kg}).
3
Convert the per-minute dose to an hourly dose.
40,500 mcg/hr40,500 \text{ mcg/hr}
Infusion pumps are programmed in mL/hr\text{mL/hr}, so the total hourly medication requirement must be determined by multiplying the minute dose by 60 minutes60 \text{ minutes}.
4
Convert the total available medication from milligrams (mg) to micrograms (mcg).
500,000 mcg500,000 \text{ mcg}
Units must match the prescribed dose unit (micrograms) for accurate calculation.
5
Calculate the concentration of the IV solution.
2,000 mcg/mL2,000 \text{ mcg/mL}
Divide the total micrograms (500,000 mcg500,000 \text{ mcg}) by the total volume (250 mL250 \text{ mL}).
6
Determine the required infusion rate.
20.25 mL/hr20.25 \text{ mL/hr}
Divide the hourly dose (40,500 mcg/hr40,500 \text{ mcg/hr}) by the concentration (2,000 mcg/mL2,000 \text{ mcg/mL}).
7
Round the final answer to the nearest tenth.
20.320.3
Adhere to the specific rounding instructions provided in the question.

Key Concept

Weight-based continuous IV infusion calculation
Rate this question

Topics

Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

More questions from this topic