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Discussion

Math Question Doesn't Make Sense To Me - Help Please!

:banghead::banghead::banghead:This math question is included in a math review, I have tried every way I know to work this problem, but I still don't come up with the correct answer. The correct answer is supposed to be 24. Can someone please help me to make sense of this very confusing problem:

An IV bag contains Heparin 25,000 units / 500 ml NaCl 0.9%. The current flow rate is 20 ml/hr. You are to increase the infusion rate by 200 units/hr. What is the new IV flow rate? _____________ ml/hr?

The units and ml do not cancel out for me, and I don't understand why the initial flow rate is ml/hr and the other is units/hr. It doesn't matter where I add the 200 units, I can't seem to come up with 24 ml/hr. Am I just missing the obvious here? I would appreciate some insight. Thanks.

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  • Experts

an iv bag contains heparin 25,000 units / 500 ml nacl 0.9%. the current flow rate is 20 ml/hr. you are to increase the infusion rate by 200 units/hr. what is the new iv flow rate? _____________ ml/hr?

first, you need to determine, what your current dose (units/hour) is at the 20 ml/hour infusion rate.

25,000 units/500 ml
(dose on hand)
x 20 ml/hour
(current flow rate)
=
1,000 units/hour
(current dose that the patient is receiving)

now, increase that dose by 200 units per hour to get the new hourly dose. so, the units/hour that patient is to receive will be 1,200 units/hour. recalculate the flow rate (infusion rate) based upon the fact that the iv bag contains 25,000 units/500 ml.

1,200 units/hour
(dose desired)
x 500 ml/25,000 units
(dose on hand)
=
24 ml/hour
(infusion rate)

(
note:
this kind of problem is based in actual common practice. doctors will order continuous iv heparin as units/hour and we have to calculate the ml/hour that these infusions need to infuse based on what the concentration of heparin is in the iv solution that is hanging.)

  • Author
:bow: Thank you so much, Daytonite! Everything makes so much more sense when you explain it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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