How to figure out mcg/kg/min

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I do not understand why this is the answer (in bold).... I tried this problem multiple times and I am not getting 6.9

  1. The prescriber orders Dopamine 26 mL/min. The medication available is labeled Dopamine 800 mg/500 mL.

Patient weight: 220 lbs

What is the dose being delivered?

Answer: 6.9mcg/kg/min

--> How do you get this answer?

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Specializes in MICU.

You cant have mcg/kg/min without the question stating it. Check the question again

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

A prescriber would never order Dopamine in mL/minute. Are you sure you copied this correctly?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

To GENERALLY solve a mcg/kg/min problem you must know three things:

Patient weight in kg

Concentration of drug in mcg/mL

Dose desired (how MANY mcg/kg/min)

Well, four: You must know that there are 60 minutes in an hour! :)

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I believe the 26mL/min should read 26mL/hr. Try it that way, you should come up with 6.9 mcg/kg/min :)

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

Where does this question come from? I think there might be an error.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

  1. The prescriber orders Dopamine 26 mL/min. The medication available is labeled Dopamine 800 mg/500 mL.

Patient weight: 220 lbs

What is the dose being delivered?

Is this exactly as the problem is in your homework?
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Double-strength dopamine at 26ml/minute? It doesn't matter how much he weighs-- your patient will be a dead guy pretty quick anyway. :)

(sorry....)(it never hurts to look up the average dose range, and this sure isn't it)

To figure this out, you would have to know that the pt weighs 100kg, and there are 800/500 mg in one cc of the solution he's getting. Now can you figure it out?

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Specializes in Pedi.
I believe the 26mL/min should read 26mL/hr. Try it that way, you should come up with 6.9 mcg/kg/min :)

Yes, this. 26 mL/min is 1560 mL/hr. There's no way anyone has an IV running that fast. That's 37 L of fluid per day from this medication alone. I'm going to go with no.

And a provider cannot order a medication drip in mL/hr or mL/min, the dose needs to be clarified. This order cannot be safely carried out the way it is written.

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Double-strength dopamine at 26ml/minute? It doesn't matter how much he weighs-- your patient will be a dead guy pretty quick anyway.
Maybe the patient got lucky and that 18ga line in the hand infiltrated and he got off with an amputated hand and a multi-million dollar settlement.
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