amiodarone bolus

[sistuh]

I recently had to give a bolus of amiodarone off a standard concentration bag of 450mg in 250 ml. I programmed the antiquated pumps we use with the pharmacy directions and am wondering in my mind how to calculate the dose ordered into the old pumps which cannot be labled or programmed except for ml/hr.

[meandragonbrett]

You do the math by hand :)

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Is this a trick question??!!

You use that process called "drug calculations"... which permits you to work out how many mg/hr and how many mls/hr are required, and then you enter that rate into the pump.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

You need to figure out by hand what to set your pumps to. You should also know many mcg/min or mcg/kg/min your patient is receiving. I cannot remember these formulas for the life of me (I have to do these kind of problems using ratio/proportion) but maybe these will help you...

if dose/hr (e.g. mcg/hr) is ordered: dose/concentration = mL/hr

if dose/min (e.g. mcg/min) is ordered: dose x 60min / concentration = mL/hr

if dose/kg/min (e.g. mcg/kg/min) is ordered: dose x kg x 60min / concentration = mL/hr.

if mL/hr is ordered (e.g. 10mL/hr): concentration x mL/hr = dose/hr (e.g. mcg/hr)

if mL/hr is ordered (e.g. 10mL/hr): concentration x mL/hr / 60min = dose/min (e.g. mcg/min)

if mL/hr is ordered (e.g. 10mL/hr): (concentration x mL/hr) / 60min / kg = dose/kg/min

[sunnycalifRN]

first off, you know how many mg's of amio you are ordered to give in the bolus . . . the typical dose is 150 mg

since there are 450 mg's in the 250 ml . . . you have to give 1/3 of the bag or 250/3 = 83.33 ml

typically, we give the bolus pretty fast, like ten minutes . . . so, set the hourly rate on the pump at

6 x 83.33 = 499.98 or 500, is close enough.

set the volume to be infused at 83.33 or 84 ml and press start. Voila . . amio bolus!

Hopefully, you learned this in nursing school!!!

[CNL2B]

No kidding! If you can't figure this out, you shouldn't be giving amiodarone boluses. You should be finding a nice, safe, clinic job....

[sistuh]

sarcasm filter ACTIVE..............................................