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| |  Yet Another I.V. calculation problem!
I need someone's (Daytonite? :wink2  help regarding this question. I've seen another thread with a similar pharmacology question asking for "dilution volume" that leads me to believe I know the answer, but my worksheet poses the query in a slightly different manner that makes provokes the little OCD in me to post it: An I.V. medication dose of 500mg is ordered to be diluted to 30mL and infused over 50 minutes. A 15 mL flush is to follow. The dose of medication is contained in 3mL. The administration set is a microdrip. Determine the following: 1. Dilution Volume:________ 2. gtt/min:________ 3. mL/hr:______
Now, I do not have problems computing #2 and #3, but #1 threw me for a loop, as that no book or handout in my possession addresses "dilution volume." Even a worldwide Google search had only brought me ONE post in allnurses.com, and the previously mentioned similar question.
My questions REALLY is are: -- what EXACTLY is dilution volume? -- Are the answers 1) 27mL 2) 36 gtt/min 3) 36 mL/hr ?
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| | No. 1 | 
Sep 07, 2009, 10:08 AM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem! Originally Posted by Cinqui73  I need someone's (Daytonite? :wink2 help regarding this question. I've seen another thread with a similar pharmacology question asking for "dilution volume" that leads me to believe I know the answer, but my worksheet poses the query in a slightly different manner that makes provokes the little OCD in me to post it: An I.V. medication dose of 500mg is ordered to be diluted to 30mL and infused over 50 minutes. A 15 mL flush is to follow. The dose of medication is contained in 3mL. The administration set is a microdrip. Determine the following: 1. Dilution Volume:________ 2. gtt/min:________ 3. mL/hr:______
Now, I do not have problems computing #2 and #3, but #1 threw me for a loop, as that no book or handout in my possession addresses "dilution volume." Even a worldwide Google search had only brought me ONE post in allnurses.com, and the previously mentioned similar question.
My questions REALLY is are: -- what EXACTLY is dilution volume? -- Are the answers 1) 27mL 2) 36 gtt/min 3) 36 mL/hr ? http://dictionary.babylon.com/WATER_.../Dilutions.htm
frankly i think your prof is a little ....hmmmm not quite sure,lol
what i would have thought to call it was vol of diluent......good luck
| | No. 3 |
Sep 07, 2009, 10:48 AM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem! Originally Posted by Cinqui73 Thank you for saying "diluent"....my handouts call it "dilutent," which I don't know it it's correct or not; however, in my 17 years as a medical assistent reconstituting meds/giving injections, I've never seen a vial of diluent say "dilutent" on it!
However, it also says "vancromycin" instead of "vancomycin"...and it's not a typo, it's misspelled in every "vanco" question over a handful of times! 
lololololololol.......i dont know what else to say..
just checked out dilutent.....it is used....but entirely different areas of study/use come up when you google it.... http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Diluent | | No. 4 |
Sep 07, 2009, 11:15 AM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem!
Ah, that's good to know. As I said, I've never seen "dilutent" before, but I didn't want to judge it prematurely, "vancromycin" or not!
Reminds me of a time when when I was touring nursing colleges, and I saw a sign above the patient simulator mannequins: "DO NOT INJECT FLUIDS INTO MANIKIN!" I giggled to myself, wondering how the college could keep a boast about academic prowess and superior teaching while they had a boldly misprinted sign hanging in plain sight. Curiousity provoked, I googled the word and found out that not only can the word mannequin be spelled various ways, but the company that produces said patient simulator actually refers to their products as "manikins!"
Wiped the smug smirk right off of my face....
| | No. 5 |
Sep 07, 2009, 01:18 PM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem! Originally Posted by Cinqui73 Ah, that's good to know. As I said, I've never seen "dilutent" before, but I didn't want to judge it prematurely, "vancromycin" or not!
Reminds me of a time when when I was touring nursing colleges, and I saw a sign above the patient simulator mannequins: "DO NOT INJECT FLUIDS INTO MANIKIN!" I giggled to myself, wondering how the college could keep a boast about academic prowess and superior teaching while they had a boldly misprinted sign hanging in plain sight. Curiousity provoked, I googled the word and found out that not only can the word mannequin be spelled various ways, but the company that produces said patient simulator actually refers to their products as "manikins!" Wiped the smug smirk right off of my face....
dont you just know it!lol.......
checked out vancromycin.....nada......i think we are safe on that one
if you can ascertain that your instructor has other than a medical back ground, perhaps you could gently point that out to he/she? good luck
| | No. 6 |
Sep 07, 2009, 04:25 PM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem!
Oh, I have no idea who created the med calculation practice packet...I'm curious to see when/if we review it if the instructor catches on to the misprint. I try really hard to keep my mouth shut, nursing instructors can be....ah, testy folk! :wink2:
Look, atleast it didn't say "prostrate" when referring to a prostate! 
I sent a PM to Daytonite...hopefully, she'll have time to help me out.
| | No. 7 |
Sep 08, 2009, 12:30 AM
(1) The dilution volume is the amount of liquid you will add to the medication (500 mg of medication in 3 mL) to bring it to 30 mL. That will be the 27 mL (27 mL + 3 mL = 30 mL) [ An I.V. medication dose of 500mg is ordered to be diluted to 30mL]. It's just stated oddly and took me a little while to understand what they were asking too.
(2) gtts/min: 30 mL over 50 minutes with a microdrip set (60 gtts/mL) 30 mL (amount to infuse)/50 minutes (time to infuse) x 60 gtts/1 mL (drop factor of IV tubing) = 36 gtts/minute (drip rate)
(3) mL/hour: 30 mL (amount to infuse)/50 minutes (time to infuse) x 60 minutes/hour (conversion factor) = 36 mL/hour (infusion rate)
| | No. 8 |
Sep 08, 2009, 06:35 AM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem!
Thank you! I will be passing this on to classmates, and classmates that I am not acquainted with on allnurses.com can search and find the answer here as well!!
I knew Daytonite could help us!  | | No. 9 |
Sep 08, 2009, 03:53 PM
Re: Yet Another I.V. calculation problem! Originally Posted by Daytonite (1) The dilution volume is the amount of liquid you will add to the medication (500 mg of medication in 3 mL) to bring it to 30 mL. That will be the 27 mL (27 mL + 3 mL = 30 mL) [ An I.V. medication dose of 500mg is ordered to be diluted to 30mL]. It's just stated oddly and took me a little while to understand what they were asking too.
(2) gtts/min: 30 mL over 50 minutes with a microdrip set (60 gtts/mL) 30 mL (amount to infuse)/50 minutes (time to infuse) x 60 gtts/1 mL (drop factor of IV tubing) = 36 gtts/minute (drip rate)
(3) mL/hour: 30 mL (amount to infuse)/50 minutes (time to infuse) x 60 minutes/hour (conversion factor) = 36 mL/hour (infusion rate)
inre the italized....me too! seems to be used in other sciences; medicine, not so much.
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