[Bonny619]

Yep, it was 1000 units/hr.

I'm still gettins stuck on some though. Can you use dimensional analysis on ALL med questions? It just doesnt seem to work on them all. Let me find an example.


4. Order: Ancef 1 gram over 30 minutes. The drip factor is 20gtts/mL
Drug label: Ancef 1 gram in 50 mls of NS.
The nurse would set the pump rate at how many mL/hour?

[Daytonite]

Ancef 1 gram over 30 minutes. The drip factor is 20gtts/mL. Drug label: Ancef 1 gram in 50 mls of NS.
The nurse would set the pump rate at how many mL/hour?

This is a simple ratio. You set two ratios (or two fractions), one with an unknown, equal to each other and then cross mutiply to find the variable. You can leave the labels off, but it is important that you make sure that the terms with the same labels occupy the same positions in the ratios (or fraction) on each side of the equation, like this:

50 mL/30 minutes (amount to be given in the time to be given) = X mL/60 minutes (amount to set the pump at per one hour of time)

[Daytonite]

It might be easier for you to think of this last problem another way.

If I'm infusing 50mL over 30 minutes, how much would I be infusing over 60 minutes? That is really what the question is asking.

[Bonny619]

I totally get that part, I know I could just multiply 50 x 2 to get 100.

Thanks for all of your help.

[jov]

Originally Posted by Bonny619

I'm pretty sure my problem is that I never really learned dimensional analysis.

You don't HAVE to use dimensional analysis. For some people, it is more confusing and it is hard to keep track of which number represents what. You can always figure it out logically, just keep converting and converting and converting...
and then always take your answer and figure it backwards