failed med test

Specialties MICU

Published

Specializes in critical care.

Jacho is coming OH MY :{

Well I had no med ICU drug calc med test in my education file So I get handed one and I failed miserably. I admit I have not used hand written calcs in a long time. My old job our cardiac monitors did the calcs we just plugged in the numbers. At the job I am at now we use the Alaris pumps. I need to retake the test Tuesday am. Does any one have a good calc or know a good reference book with calcs I have my Kathy white dusted off ,but jeez i just can"t get it! I am sooooooooooooo out of practice beside D/H x Q. Help

I went from a hospital that used the Alaris pumps as well and was lost when I had to calculate out all my drips. Here's the equations I found that work:

1ml/hr = ? mcg/min = (mg in bag)(1000 to get mcg)/ (ml in bag)(60min)

Divide the above by kg to get mcg/kg/min

1mcg/min = ? ml/hr = (ml in bag)(60min)/(mg in bag)(1000)

Multiply above to get mcg/kg/min

On both, if you want the dose as mg, not mcg, leave out the 1000 portion.

If you want the dose per hour, not per minute, leave out the 60 portion.

So if you want to know what your dose is when you know the pump is set at 10ml/hr - use the first equation and multiply by 10

If you want to know what to set your pump at to get the correct dose - say 5mcg/kg/min, use the second equation and multiply by 5

Does this help any??

Specializes in critical care.

Hi thanks. I went to barnes and noble and found a small pocket drug calc book there is now 7 of us in all . We can use calculators and references on tuesday am. Atleast I am not alone in this "failure". Thanks again

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