A nurse is preparing to administer dopamine hydrochloride 4 mcg/kg/min via continuous infusion.

A nurse is preparing to administer dopamine hydrochloride 4 mcg/kg/min via continuous infusion.

Available is dopamine hydrochloride in a solution of 800 mg in a 250 mL bag.

The client weighs 80 kg. The nurse should set the IV infusion to deliver how many mL/hr? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number.

Use a leading zero if it applies.)

A.
4 mL/hr.

B.
5 mL/hr.

C.
6 mL/hr.

D.
7 mL/hr.

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

To determine the correct IV infusion rate for administering dopamine hydrochloride, follow these steps:

1. Calculate the Total Dose Required per Minute:
   • The client’s weight is 80 kg.
   • The prescribed dosage is 4 mcg/kg/min.
   First, calculate the total dose required per minute:Dose per minute=Weight (kg)×Dose (mcg/kg/min)\text{Dose per minute} = \text{Weight (kg)} \times \text{Dose (mcg/kg/min)}Dose per minute=Weight (kg)×Dose (mcg/kg/min) Dose per minute=80 kg×4 mcg/kg/min=320 mcg/min\text{Dose per minute} = 80 \text{ kg} \times 4 \text{ mcg/kg/min} = 320 \text{ mcg/min}Dose per minute=80 kg×4 mcg/kg/min=320 mcg/min
2. Convert the Dose into mg per Minute:
   • Since 1 mg = 1000 mcg, convert the dose from micrograms to milligrams:
   Dose in mg/min=Dose in mcg/min1000\text{Dose in mg/min} = \frac{\text{Dose in mcg/min}}{1000}Dose in mg/min=1000Dose in mcg/min​ Dose in mg/min=320 mcg/min1000=0.32 mg/min\text{Dose in mg/min} = \frac{320 \text{ mcg/min}}{1000} = 0.32 \text{ mg/min}Dose in mg/min=1000320 mcg/min​=0.32 mg/min
3. Determine the Concentration of the Solution:
   • The available solution contains 800 mg of dopamine in 250 mL of solution.
   Find the concentration of the solution in mg/mL:Concentration=Total mgTotal volume (mL)\text{Concentration} = \frac{\text{Total mg}}{\text{Total volume (mL)}}Concentration=Total volume (mL)Total mg​ Concentration=800 mg250 mL=3.2 mg/mL\text{Concentration} = \frac{800 \text{ mg}}{250 \text{ mL}} = 3.2 \text{ mg/mL}Concentration=250 mL800 mg​=3.2 mg/mL
4. Calculate the Infusion Rate in mL/min:Using the concentration and the required dose per minute, calculate the infusion rate:Infusion rate (mL/min)=Dose in mg/minConcentration (mg/mL)\text{Infusion rate (mL/min)} = \frac{\text{Dose in mg/min}}{\text{Concentration (mg/mL)}}Infusion rate (mL/min)=Concentration (mg/mL)Dose in mg/min​ Infusion rate (mL/min)=0.32 mg/min3.2 mg/mL=0.1 mL/min\text{Infusion rate (mL/min)} = \frac{0.32 \text{ mg/min}}{3.2 \text{ mg/mL}} = 0.1 \text{ mL/min}Infusion rate (mL/min)=3.2 mg/mL0.32 mg/min​=0.1 mL/min
5. Convert the Infusion Rate to mL/hr:To convert the rate to mL/hr, multiply by the number of minutes in an hour:Infusion rate (mL/hr)=0.1 mL/min×60 min/hr=6 mL/hr\text{Infusion rate (mL/hr)} = 0.1 \text{ mL/min} \times 60 \text{ min/hr} = 6 \text{ mL/hr}Infusion rate (mL/hr)=0.1 mL/min×60 min/hr=6 mL/hr

Thus, the correct IV infusion rate to deliver the prescribed dose of dopamine hydrochloride is 6 mL/hr.