Deck 8: Advanced Intravenous Calculations

Question 1

If a patient is receiving 1.5 mg per hr of a drug in an IV, how many mcg per min are being infused?

Answer 1

Conversion factors: 1000 mcg = 1 mg
60 min = 1 hr

Question 2

Drug per kg per min: 6 mcg per kg per min
Weight: 55 kg
a. mcg per hr:
b. mg per hr (to nearest tenth of a mg):

Answer 2

a. 19,800
b. 19.8

Question 3

Ordered: Nicardipine hydrochloride IV 1.2 mg per hr for a patient with hypertension
IV solution at bedside: 25 mg Nicardipine in 500 mL of NS infusing at 24 mL per hr
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. What is the mL per hr ordered flow rate for this solution?
c. Is the solution infusing at the correct flow rate?
d. If not, what action should the nurse take?

Answer 3

a. 1:20 (25 mg:500 mL)
b. 24 mL per hr ordered (1 mg : 20 mL :: 1.2 mg : x mL)
c. The infusion rate is correct.
d. N/A

Question 4

Ordered: Granisetron hydrochloride injection (Kytril) 10 mcg per kg IV injection 30 min before chemotherapy to reduce nausea and vomiting
Available: Kytril vial IV 0.1 mg per mL
Patient weight: 60 kg
Dilution: May be given undiluted as an injection into a port over 30 seconds
The nurse adds 2.4 mL of sterile NS for injection to the medication for ease of timing the injection rate into the injection port.
a. What is the total dose of drug in mg to be given?
b. What is the total volume of drug for injection?
c. How many total seconds per calibration?

Question 5

For an IV solution of Drug Y, 250 mg in 1000 mL, the hourly ordered drug is 10 mg. How many mL per hr will the rate be on the infusion pump?

Question 6

How many mg per mL are contained in this bag of IV solution?

Question 7

Drug per kg per min: 10 mcg per kg per min
Weight: 75 kg
a. mcg per hr:
b. mg per hr (to nearest tenth of a mg):

Question 8

The patient's IV is ordered for 15 mcg per minute.
Available: 400 mg in 250 mL
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. How many mcg per hr should the patient receive?
c. How many mg per hr should the patient receive?
d. How many mL per hr should the patient receive to the nearest tenth of a mL?

Question 9

Ordered: Sodium nitroprusside IV 0.5 mcg per kg per minute to maintain blood pressure
Patient weight: 80 kg
Available: Sodium nitroprusside 25 mg in 250 mL D₅W
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. How many mcg per hr are ordered?
c. How many mg per hr are ordered?
d. How many mL per hr are needed to nearest tenth of a mL?

Question 10

You check your patient's IV flow rate in ICU on a pump. It is 7.2 mL per hr.
Ordered: 30 mcg per minute.
IV: 250 mg in 1000 mL of solution
a. How many mg per hr are ordered?
b. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
c. Is the flow rate correct? If not, what should it be?
d. What is the appropriate nursing action, if any?

Question 11

Ordered: Cardizem 20 mg IV for a rapid ventricular rate
Available: Cardizem 5 mg per mL after reconstitution
Literature recommendation: Give each single dose over 2 minutes.
a. What is the total mL to be injected?
b. What is the total mL per minute to be injected?

Question 12

Drug per kg per min: 5 mcg per kg per min
Weight: 30 kg
a. mcg per hr:
b. mg per hr (to nearest tenth of a mg):

Question 13

Ordered: Aminophylline 10 mg per hr for a patient with asthma
Available: Aminophylline 250 mg in 1000 mL D₅W infusing at 30 mL per hr on an infusion pump
a. What is the ordered mL per hr flow rate?
b. Is the current flow rate correct? If not, what action should the nurse take?

Question 14

Ordered: Isoproterenol (Isuprel) IV infusion 120 mcg per hr for a patient with coronary artery disease
IV solution at bedside: Isuprel 1 mg in 500 mL of D₅W infusing at 50 mL per hr
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. How many mg per hr are ordered?
c. How many mL per hr are ordered?
d. Is the solution infusing at the correct flow rate?
e. If not, what action should the nurse take?

Question 15

Ordered: An IV of 2 mcg per kg per minute
Available: The pharmacy-prepared IV contains 100 mg in 250 mL
Patient weight: 50 kg
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. How many mcg per hr are ordered?
c. How many mg per hr are ordered?
d. How many mL per hr are needed to nearest tenth of a mL?

Question 16

The patient's IV is flowing at 10 mL per hr.
Ordered: 2 mg per hr.
IV: 100 mg in 500 mL of solution
a. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
b. How many mg per hr is the patient receiving?
c. Is the patient receiving the correct amount of medication?
d. What is the appropriate nursing action, if any?

Question 17

Drug per kg per min: 2 mcg per kg per min
Weight: 5.4 kg
a. mcg per hr:
b. mg per hr (to nearest tenth of a mg):

Question 18

Drug per kg per min: 15 mcg per kg per min
Weight: 100 kg
a. mcg per hr:
b. mg per hr (to nearest tenth of a mg):

Question 19

Ordered: Magnesium sulfate 1 g per hr for maintenance IV for a patient with preeclampsia
Available: Magnesium sulfate 40 g per 250 mL D₅W
What flow rate you will set (in mL per hr rounded to nearest tenth of a mL) on the infusion pump?

Question 20

The IV for a patient in critical care is flowing at 12 mL per hr.
Ordered: 0.2 mg per minute.
IV: 500 mg in 1000 mL
a. How many mg per hr are ordered?
b. What is the total drug:total mL ratio?
c. Is the flow rate correct? If not, what should it be?
d. What is the appropriate nursing action, if any?

Question 21

Ordered: Nitroprusside sodium at 0.4 mcg per kg per min for a patient with severe hypertension. Patient weight is 198 pounds.
Available: Nitroprusside sodium 50 mg in 250 mL D₅W
a. What is the patient's weight in kilograms?
b. What is the hourly drug ordered in mg (to the nearest tenth of a mg)?
c. What is the flow rate to be set on the infusion pump?

Question 22

Ordered: Dobutamine (Dobutrex) at 1 mcg per kg per min to be infused. Patient weight is 70 kg. The Dobutrex has been placed in 1 liter of D₅W.
What flow rate will you set (to nearest whole number)?

Question 23

Ordered: Dopamine IV at 4 mcg per kg per min
SDR: 2 to 10 mcg per kg per min. IV is flowing at 10 mL per hr
Patient weight: 60 kg
a. Is the order within SDR?
b. What is the total mg per minute ordered?
c. What is the total mg per hour ordered (to the nearest tenth of a mg)?
d. How many total mL per hr are ordered?
e. Is the current IV flow rate correct? If not, what nursing actions are necessary?