Dosage help?

First of all, I must say that NeoFax would not agree w/that dopamine concentration (recc. 2-20 mcg/kg/min), lol. So, I am just a lonely nursing student yet, but know of NeoFax's new web-based drug-dosing website. http://neofax.com/products/WebApp/index.html Check that out, it's free to use it as a guest. (You can plug in pt. weight, drug, dose, conc., rate, IVF, etc. etc. - it's kinda cool)

I wonder if the unit I will be working in will have me do math med questions like this? I apologize I truthfully do not know any type of formula or calculation for this type of problem.

xo, Meg

Having read into NeoFax a lil more (I should be studying and not on allnurses.com! - how many times have I said that?), I have a formula for you!

Administration Calculations

To calculate the AMOUNT of drug needed per 50 mL infusion solution:

3 x {desired dose (mcg/kg/min) / desired fluid rate (mL/hr)}x weight (kg) = mg of dopamine

To calculate the VOLUME of drug needed per 50 mL infusion solution:

mg of drug (found using equation above) / concentration of drug (mg/mL) = mL of dopamine

Thank you...I really appreciate it.

I am so lost right now...lol....I was supposed to have my 1rst day on the floor today and my educator AND manager AND preceptor were all absent. So basically they called the manager and she apologized b/c she had no idea and told me to go ahead and take the day off ( grrrr this is $$ I need). The educator was supposed to go over dosage and meds with me, etc with me today.....so I am still trying to fill this packet out and getting even more frustrated with it!!!!!!!!!

But THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW I just wanted to say that I finally re-read your post and saw you are a student? WELL KUDOS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I have gotten nothing but complete shut out on my unit so far...and I did use the Neofax link you gave me and what a godsend!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! You are going to make an amazing nurse....as helpful as you are!!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK with your future schooling!~~:cheers:

Thank you Yes I graduate in 4 months and cannot wait to be a NICU nurse (I am blessed to have a job in place already).

I'm sorry to hear about your unit and orientation, how frustrating! I hope things change, I'm sure they will, sometimes unfortunately it's that new job hump that's so hard to get over.

Good luck to you! Hang in there! :pumpiron: