constant factor

[siam]

I am a New MISI Nurse but have been a nurse for many years. I work in a unit that sees so many GSW's and stab wounds that I can't see straight. Anyway, my problem is the constant factor. My new boss, who is great wants us to use the constant factor when figuring out mg to mcg, etc. I am having trouble figuring out this CF and the math that goes with it. My Clinical Team Leaders have been great but I don't always have the time to sit and figure these problems out. Any sites out there that I can visit that will help me with the constant factor? Any books? I have calculations on paper for most of the drugs but not all. Siam:banghead:

[poppy07]

there are 1000 mcg in 1 mg. that's all you need to know!

[meandragonbrett]

there are 1000 mcg in 1 mg. that's all you need to know!

No, when using a constant for gtt rates/titration knowing that 1000mcg is 1mg is not what the OP is refering to.

To the OP....

I take i that you guys don't have IV Pumps that do your calculations for you? It's been a while since I've had to use a pump that strictly did nothing but a flow rate and we used constants then. It's been so long I don't even remember how to do them. just practice it and good luck!

[Chisca, RN]

are you being required to mix your own solutions? if not, find out from the pharmacy what are the standard mixtures for the solutions you are using. for example, if you are using a premixed dopamine of 800mg in 500cc solution that is always going to be 1600mcg per cc. divide your patients weight, say 70 kg, and you get 22.8 and then divide again by 60 (you want mcg/kg/minute) and you have 0.38. that is the cal factor. if the pump is set to deliver 20cc/hr then you are delivering 7.6 (.38x20) mcg/kg/minute. remember some medications are not weight based so you could leave out the step involving the patients weight. the key is to know how many micrograms of drug are in a cc and how the drug is being dosed, mcgs per minute or mcg/kg/minute. good luck!