Drip rates!! Dosages!

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2008

What do you mean 'we don't have to anymore'?

Manual dosage and drip calculation is something you should retain and not rely on machines or pharmacy to do for you. If your patient is harmed with a medication error, you won't be able to defer blame to the pharmacy or the machine.

What specifically are you having issues with? What do you mean by "Like how to remeber which one to use when?"

Are you referring to microdrip and macrodrip?

daazy28 · Aug 8, 2008

Yes! That's exactly it. I don't WANT to rely on machines to do it. That's why I want a CLEAR understanding of the formulas. Math, especially algebra, was hard for me. I like to have things laid out clear in front of me. I htink I make it harder than it has to be in my head. During my clinicals, every nurse just plugged in the info for the machine and off they went. I guess I'm not getting out what I mean. There has to be a simpler way to work formulas, but I just don't understand them. I mean, I can set them up, for the most part. Just sometimes the math stumps me. I will just go pull out my text & notes and go over them again. I know I have extra blank sheets they gave us at the end of school for them . I was hoping maybe someone had some "pointers" as to how to keep them straight in your head.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2008

Have you had any experience with dimensional analysis? Once you line everything up, it's simply multiplication and division. Give me a scenario or a problem you typically have difficulty with and I'll help walk you through it.

daazy28 · Aug 8, 2008

Have you had any experience with dimensional analysis? Once you line everything up, it's simply multiplication and division. Give me a scenario or a problem you typically have difficulty with and I'll help walk you through it.

Thank you. Ok... so these are the smaples in my book. I have the answer at the end of the book, but I haven't looked them up yet. We also didn't do these in class. (they're like little quizzes @ the end of chapters. teachers always had their own based on board ??'s)

1)An IV of 1L of D5 1/2 NS is to run @ 150 mL/hr. How long will this IV run?

A. 6 hr B. 6.6 hr C. 7.5 hr D 8hr.

2) At 1500 an 8-hr bag of 1L D5LR, which was started at 0900, has 100 mL left in the bag. Does this infusion neeed to run slower or faster, or is it running at the correct rate?

A. Needs to infuse slower B. Needs to run faster C. Is the correct rate D. Needs to be discontinued. (I assume it isn't D. It would have to fully infuse unless changed by the physician, correct?)

3) The physician orders 50 units of NPH insulin given. What part of a mL will be given?

A. 5/100 of 1 mL B.5/1000 of 1 mL C.5/10,000 of 1 mL D.5/10 of 1 mL.

I know there's a basic formula for these, but getting the right numbers in the right places I guess is where I stumble. I thought I knew the placement, but then when doing review ??'s, I felt like I didn't. I didn't get any of them right. :imbar

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you very much!

daazy28 · Aug 8, 2008

Have you had any experience with dimensional analysis?

I probably have? I have so much in my head! I am not sure if this is the same thing I'm thinking of? R U talking about like rationale? Visualizing? Or just knowing like 1000 mL = 1L kind of things? I don't mean to sound dumb, :banghead: but I want to make sure I understand for my boards and career! I also plan to go on for my RN, now that my kids will be in school full time. So I def need to know this for that!

jadu1106 · Aug 8, 2008

thank you. ok... so these are the smaples in my book. i have the answer at the end of the book, but i haven't looked them up yet. we also didn't do these in class. (they're like little quizzes @ the end of chapters. teachers always had their own based on board ??'s)
1)an iv of 1l of d5 1/2 ns is to run @ 150 ml/hr. how long will this iv run?
a. 6 hr b. 6.6 hr c. 7.5 hr d 8hr.
2) at 1500 an 8-hr bag of 1l d5lr, which was started at 0900, has 100 ml left in the bag. does this infusion neeed to run slower or faster, or is it running at the correct rate?
a. needs to infuse slower b. needs to run faster c. is the correct rate d. needs to be discontinued. (i assume it isn't d. it would have to fully infuse unless changed by the physician, correct?)
3) the physician orders 50 units of nph insulin given. what part of a ml will be given?
a. 5/100 of 1 ml b.5/1000 of 1 ml c.5/10,000 of 1 ml d.5/10 of 1 ml.
i know there's a basic formula for these, but getting the right numbers in the right places i guess is where i stumble. i thought i knew the placement, but then when doing review ??'s, i felt like i didn't. i didn't get any of them right. :imbar
any help is greatly appreciated! thank you very much!

hi~

1)an iv of 1l of d5 1/2 ns is to run @ 150 ml/hr. how long will this iv run?

a. 6 hr b. 6.6 hr c. 7.5 hr d 8hr.

convert 1l to ml = 1000 ml

1000/150 = 6.6 hrs (answer b)

2) at 1500 an 8-hr bag of 1l d5lr, which was started at 0900, has 100 ml left in the bag. does this infusion neeed to run slower or faster, or is it running at the correct rate?

a. needs to infuse slower b. needs to run faster c. is the correct rate d. needs to be discontinued. (i assume it isn't d. it would have to fully infuse unless changed by the physician, correct?)

convert 1l to ml = 1000 ml

0900 - 1500 = 6 hrs

1000 ml/8hr = 125 ml/hr

only been hung for 6 hrs so 125 ml x6hr = 750

1000 ml -750 ml = 250 ml left for 2 hrs ( infused over 6 hrs, with 2 hrs left)

the bag should have 250 ml left, but has 100 ml left, so it is running too fast, and needs to be infusing slower (answer a)

3) the physician orders 50 units of nph insulin given. what part of a ml will be given?

a. 5/100 of 1 ml b.5/1000 of 1 ml c.5/10,000 of 1 ml d.5/10 of 1 ml.

this question is somewhat confusing. but i will write what i think the work will look like.

a large ivf bag will always be 1000 ml.

1000 ml / 50 units = 20

5/100 of 1 ml = 20 (answer a)

this is confusing as the units are not the same and do not cancel out.

is there a part of the question missing?

i hope this helps, but feel free to correct me if they are wrong.

good luck. :)

daazy28 · Aug 9, 2008

hi~
this question is somewhat confusing. but i will write what i think the work will look like.
a large ivf bag will always be 1000 ml.
1000 ml / 50 units = 20
5/100 of 1 ml = 20 (answer a)
this is confusing as the units are not the same and do not cancel out.
is there a part of the question missing?
i hope this helps, but feel free to correct me if they are wrong.
good luck. :)

well, it was taken straight out of my text book. i was having trouble setting these up. thought i knew where everything went, but wasn't sure. you did get the correct answer. (the answers are at the end of my book, but i hadn't looked them up.) i went back and redid this chapter tonite, as well as others, and think maybe i understand enough to do the boards. these kinds of questions have always been a struggle for me. :confused: but i think i have it now. sometimes i just go blank on where/how to convert them. like mcg tp g, mg to gr, etc... i know there's decimal place moving, etc. i also know i have to make all the measurements the same in an equation b4 i can figure them. we'll see. i can't let these consume me. i have to keep moving forward...lol i'll get to understand much better as i actually get to work with these equations daily. :) thank you for showing me the work as well! i really appreciate it! i have exactly 1 week 'till the boards! :eek: