Furosemide drip

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I need help calculating weight based iv drips. The weight of patient is 80. The drip is ordered to be started at 2.5mg/kg/hr. With 260mg in d5w250. What is it?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

The patient weight is 80-what? Kg? Lb?

Show us how you would set this equation up and we can help you problem-solve. Just giving you the answer won't help with your next equation.

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Specializes in Vascular Access.
I need help calculating weight based iv drips. The weight of patient is 80. The drip is ordered to be started at 2.5mg/kg/hr. With 260mg in d5w250. What is it?

Am I to assume that the patient weighs 80 kg or is it 80 lbs?

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You also need to verify your dose.

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You also need to verify your dose.

THIS!!!! 200mg/hr of furosemide is not a safe dose. The maximum dose/rate of a furosemide drip is 80-160mg/hr. And that is assuming that all other alternatives have been considered...

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Specializes in Oncology.

Micromedex says the max rate is 4mg/min, so 240mg/hr. It's possible the 200mg/hr rate is correct, but it's still an order I'd be questioning, especially as an initial rate in a relatively small patient.

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Micromedex says the max rate is 4mg/min, so 240mg/hr. It's possible the 200mg/hr rate is correct, but it's still an order I'd be questioning, especially as an initial rate in a relatively small patient.

My institution used to use Micromedex but we have since switched to a competitor. I don't know why, but to this day I'm still surprised how different resources will have different information...

I see where micromedex says 4mg/minute, thank you. But I see that says for a controlled infusion. For a continuous infusion, the maximum rate is 160mg/hour. And it's also interesting to note that the OP said their dose came as a 1mg/mL infusion (I'm assuming they meant 250mg/250mL). If the patient needs such aggressive diuresis, why are they not asking that the drip be concentrated? The standard drip I've seen is 140mg in 70mL, so 2mg/mL. Additionally, if a patient needs that kind of diuresis, they need to be at least in a step down unit, if not an ICU, for close monitoring.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Yeah, 200ml/hr of lasix makes no sense. Our drips are usually Bumex. We'd be augmenting the lasix with Zaroxylyn and spironolactone before we got to that dose. And yes, anyone needing such a dose would likely be on bipap, it not intubated.

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Sorry for the late reply. Yes it's 80 kg. The order was also clarified

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Sorry for the late reply. Yes it's 80 kg. The order was also clarified

Have you tried to work this yet? If so, why don't you post what you have done. This will allow us to best help you if we can see where you are having problems.

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I'm sorry. I was out of town. For a couple of days prior to the day before. Anyway. I asked around at how did they compute it. The answer of the consensus was 6 cc/ min. I even clarified it with the doctor. 80 x 5 then they divided it by 60 min. I was as confused as you guys and I thought I was stupid. What do you think?

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I'm not sure where you get the formula you are using. To work this type of problem I use the following formula:

(dose x weight) / concentration
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