Can you solve this drug calculation?

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Just took my final for Pharmacology. There was a question on there that stumped everyone I talked to.

Order: 0.1mcg in 100mL

Stock: 25mg/hr

We were told that we would not have any drug calculations on test that were not realistic. The answer that I got for this (along with other students I spoke to) was 2,500,000 mL/hr.

Obviously it doesn't matter NOW, because the final is over but it is just eating at me!!!

Maybe order and stock are reversed?

25mg/hr seems odd for stock?

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Maybe the answer was, The order is wrong, I would call the doc

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Specializes in LDRP.

ok i just worked 12 hours and may be crazy right now but...

1000 mcg = 1 mg

.1 mcg * 1000 = 100 mg.

d/h *v

100mg/25mg*100ml=400???????

again very tired. am i missing something? why is everyone getting 2million?

also, wouldnt the stock be the mcg/ml and the desire would be 25mg/hr?? im not sure whats going on here. is this real life? haha

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Order: 0.1mcg in 100mL

Stock: 25mg/hr

Okay. 0.1 mcg = 100mg, so you have 100mg in 100mL, which equals, 1mg/mL.

If, 1mg = 1mL, and you are to give 25mg/hr, then the answer is 25 mL/hr. I've never seen a question written like this, and I think it was just meant to try and confuse you. Its a very poorly written question since stock is usually given mg/ml. The order should have been mg/hr.

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I think the professor accidentally swapped mcg and mg.

njmomstudent, 0.1 mcg is equal to 0.0001 mg, not 100mg. Just think of it logically...mg are bigger than mcg. 0.1 mcg could never be equal to 100 mg because 1 mg is equal to 1000 mcg! 100mg would be 100,000 mcg!

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
It sounds like a typo. I'm surprised you don't have someone in your class who would raise their hand during the exam and ask - we always did.

Ditto -- anything like this coming up on an exam in my class would find the first student coming across the question going up to the desk and asking the instructor for clarification.

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Holy crap pecan you're so right. Brainfried at the end of the semester... just 8 days left. I have no idea how I messed that up, and have no idea what the heck I was thinking!! I guess my brain was subconsciously trying to make the best sense out of it. Should have been 0.1 kg in the question, no?

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Oh I totally relate - hey, the first time I looked at my brain thought the same thing yours did! I'm fried - can't wait for winter break!!

I think the teacher must've meant to write "Order: 25mcg/hr, On hand:0.1mg in 100mL"

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Orderd: 0.1mcg/100mL

Have: 25mg/hour

You need to convert Micrograms to Milligrams, so you Multiply by 1000.

0.1x1000= 100mg (Conversion Factor)

100mg x 100mL= 10,000

10,000 (divided by) 25mg= 400

Thus your answer is 400mL/hr

I am unsure if your searching for mg/hr or mL/hour nevertheless here are my calculations.

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Malenurse, to convert mcg to mg, you divide by 1000, not multiply. So, 0.1mcg is equal to 0.0001mg.

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Pecan Pies, you are sooo correct!!

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