dosage calc. question

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Specializes in critical care, burn nursing, hemodialysi.

I may be making this harder than it is, but here is the question.

Regular insulin 10units/hr iv in 500 ml NS to infuse in 6 hours

On hand: Regular insulin 100units/ml

How many units of insulin should be added to the iv solution in order to administer the Insulin over a period of 6 hours.

I would say 60 units but that seems too simple, any comments?

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I would say your answer of 60 units was correct.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

I find it a little odd to how that question is being asked - I wonder if it was worded wrong - but if it is worded correctly, then I would agree with your answer. I really wonder if your professor wanted to know how many cc's of insulin you would add to the bag.

On a side note, I hate when professors ask questions when it is obvious that they don't know the common practice of how the IV is used. For example, most insulin drips are 100 units of regular insulin in 100 cc of NS - so one mL would be added to the 100 cc of NS to make a 1:1 concentration. You would never see an insulin drip order written like it was above. That question is very confusing. Sorry for my short rant.

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Specializes in critical care, burn nursing, hemodialysi.

I agree completely. I have been an rn for 15 years, but I am taking an RN refresher course to go back into clinical nursing. This instructor has had a couple of poorly worded questions in her modules. Reminds me of tests when i was back in school. I turned in the module today with 60 as the answer since in asked for amount of units and not how many mls to add. So i'll find out in a few days.

Thanks for your reply,

Scott

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