Can someone help with this calculation problem?

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I hate to annoy people with asking a calculation question, because I'm sure most of you are as highly annoyed by them as me! Here is the calculation:

Add 40 units of Pitocin to 1000ml D5RL. Infuse at a rate to deliver 4 units of Pitocin per hour. How many mls per hour should you administer? (infusion pump)

Ok, you can't just straight add units to mL's, right? I have only had infusion pump problems with ml's so far, so this one is a little confusing to me! I have even tried googling similar problems with no luck. If anyone could help I would appreciate it so much!

:confused:

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I think you would need to know how many units of Pit per ml before you continue the calculation.

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

100 mls per hour??

What you want 4 units/hr, what you have got 40 units therefore you have got 10 unit hrs, into a 1L bag is 100mls/hr. Pitocin is not a drug I am familiar with but it must be small volumes if you are counting in units.

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I actually worked it by doing 1000 ml/ 40u X's 4u and got 100 mL, I just didn't think it was right! so I guess that is the right answer after all! THANK YOU!! :) :)

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg.

1000ml/40 units x 4 units/1 hr = 100mL/hr

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I use dose over what you have(doc over stock) 4 divided by 40 is 0.1.The you multiply by the volume.1000 x 0.1 = 100

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Specializes in OB, House Sup, ER, Med Surg.

This is an interesting problem, as we usually dose Pitocin in milliunit/min.

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ok you always place what you are looking for on top so you can set it up this way

ML/HR = 1000ML/40 U mutilplied by 4U/Hr = unit cancels unit and you are left with ML/Hr. 100ml/hr

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I agree the answer is 100ml/hr.

Have you learned 'desired over on hand' calculation? That's the only way I could ever do calculations. It's the easiest for me.

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you have answered your own question 100ml/hour all to be delivered in 10hours...:)

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You can do this in your head. The 4mL dose is 10% of the total 40mL that you put in the bag. You need to give 10% of the 1000mL bag per hour, which is 100mL. So give 100mL per hour.

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The book" Drug Math in 4 easy steps". Is the simplest way to figure any drug problem. The 4th step is a drip. Any drip. It got this non math person thru Paramedic school. ANd we have to get 100% on the drug math to pass.

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