IV Drip Rate Help

FlyingScot, RN · Oct 7, 2015

Forgive my ignorance but exactly what is an "H and V"?

tiffanyleto · Oct 7, 2015

H is on hand and V is vol if i understand it correctly.

tiffanyleto · Oct 7, 2015

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tiffanyleto · Oct 7, 2015

Forgive my ignorance but exactly what is an "H and V"?

H is on hand and V is vol if i understand it correctly.

tiffanyleto · Oct 7, 2015

Forgive my ignorance but exactly what is an "H and V"?

Is there no way to figure out the new on hand and or volume given the rate? I guess no one thinks so since the post has had over 100 views and no replies.

FlyingScot, RN · Oct 7, 2015

I don't think that's it. The question just doesn't make sense to me so I can't answer it.

Plus, I'm at work so my time is limited.

mrsboots87 · Oct 7, 2015

Seems like you must be really overthinking this or this questions just makes no sense. If you just want to double the drip rate for volume, then double the volume. If you want to double the drip rate for mixed drug on hand then double how much drug is in the bag.

mrsboots87 · Oct 8, 2015

Current is 250mL/500mg, 5mcg/kg/min, 242lb

If you need to double the drip rate by increasing both the volume and amount of drug in the bag (that just seems ridiculous, but I guess its just for practice in rearranging math equations) then use DA only. There probably isn't a formula specific to this.

16.5 X 2 = 33mL/h

mL/mg = 33mL/hr X hr/60min X min/110kg X kg/5mcg X 1000mcg/mg

= 33000mL/33000mg

This means you have to make a bag with drug that is a 1:1 ratio if you want to double the flow rate by changing the H and the V at that same time. To test this, lets do 1000mg of drug in 1000mL of solution

mL/hr = 1000mL/1000mg X mg/1000mcg X 5mcg/kg X 110kg/min X 60min/hr

= 33mL/hr

No matter bag you choose, as long as it is a 1:1 ration of drug to solution, you will get a flow rate that is double your first answer.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2015

What is IV rate in ml/hr and give a H and V that will double this drip rate.

There must be a typo somewhere because if you wanted to double the drip rate you would multiply by 2 and get 33ml/hr. However that would also double the dose rate.

If the question is actually asking what would the concentration of Dobutamine be if you wanted the same dose rate (5mcg/kg/min) at double the drip rate. Then you would have to divide the concentration by 2. Instead of 500mg in 250ml it would be 250mg in 250ml.

Whatcha say mrsboots.

tiffanyleto · Oct 8, 2015

Thanks to everyone that answered. I copied the problem exact from a test we recently had so maybe my prof meant something else from what she asked or im over thinking it. I initially thought you could just change either the on hand quantity(H) or the volume(V) but prof said both would change so I wasnt sure then how to figure that out. An RN told me today that I would just change the 5mcg to 10mcg and not the 500mg or 250ml because that's "as it comes" so that confused me more.

Im still trying to understand what these kinds of problems are telling me so its hard to grasp the relationship between all the quantities and manipulate it for questions like this.

Ill ask a classmate what they did.

Thanks again for your replies

dah doh, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2015

Have to think way back on this one...

Your method of calculating is what I learned in nursing school.

However, in practice it's more like this:

Concentration of drug x conversion to mcg/conversion to minutes

(500mg/250ccx1000mcg)/60=33.3 this is your "Constant"

(Dosexweight)/constant=cc/hr

Your example: (5mcgx110kg)/33.3=16.5 cc/hr

Not sure what else you are asking about H and V, but double the rate = double the dose (33 cc/hr = 10 mcg/kg/min)

Before smart pumps, we used to have to double check our pumps when we ran vasoactive drips but it's been a while so it took me a while to remember how. It works with weight based drips; non-weight based is similar.