A nurse is preparing to administer a continuous heparin infusion at 1600 units/hr. Available is heparin 25.000 units in dextrose 5% in water (DSW) 500 mL The nurse should set the IV pump to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To calculate the rate at which the nurse should set the IV pump, we need to use the following formula:
[
\text{Flow rate (mL/hr)} = \frac{\text{Desired dosage (units/hr)}}{\text{Concentration (units/mL)}}
]
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
- Desired dosage: The nurse needs to administer 1600 units per hour.
- Concentration of the solution: The available heparin solution contains 25,000 units in 500 mL of D5W. To determine the concentration (units/mL), we divide the total units of heparin by the total volume of the solution: [
\text{Concentration} = \frac{25,000 \text{ units}}{500 \text{ mL}} = 50 \text{ units/mL}
] - Flow rate calculation: Now, use the formula to determine how many mL per hour the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver: [
\text{Flow rate} = \frac{1600 \text{ units/hr}}{50 \text{ units/mL}} = 32 \text{ mL/hr}
]
Therefore, the nurse should set the IV pump to deliver 32 mL/hr.
Explanation:
The purpose of this calculation is to ensure the correct amount of medication is delivered per hour. In this case, the heparin infusion is meant to deliver 1600 units every hour, and the concentration of the heparin in the solution is 50 units/mL. By dividing the desired units per hour by the concentration (units per mL), we determine the flow rate required in mL/hr. This ensures the correct dose is administered continuously, reducing the risk of underdosing or overdosing, which is especially important with anticoagulants like heparin.
Rounding to the nearest whole number ensures that the rate can be accurately set on most IV pumps, which typically do not support decimal values for flow rates.