need help on this calculation problem please

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A client is receiving 2mg in 250mL D5W. The order is to infuse at 20mL/hr.

Calculate:

mg/hr

mcg/hr

mcg/min

The answers I keep getting are:

.16mg/hr

160mcg/hr

2.7mcg/min

The book answers are:

.36mg/hr

360mcg/hr

6mcg/min

Who is wrong me or the book? lol

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

I've worked it out twice and go the same things you did. I don't 100% trust my math, so I'm not willing yet to say that the book is wrong. Maybe someone else can check our answers. ;)

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i got the same answers like yours too...

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I got the same answers too. If we're all getting it wrong it must be something ridiculously easy to overlook!

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

A client is receiving 2mg in 250mL D5W. The order is to infuse at 20mL/hr.

Calculate:

mg/hr

mcg/hr

mcg/min

ok, so what do we need to do first? First figure out how many mg are in 1 mL. take 2mg/250mls = .008 mg in 1 mL * 20mls/hr = 0.16 mg/hr. for mcg/hr multiply by 100 (0.16 * 100) = 160 mcg/hr. then take that 160mcg/hr and divide by 60 mins/hr = 2.7 mcg/hr (rounding up). I think with all this explained, the book is wrong. Not to mention trying to infuse 20ml/hr is really slow. I can't think of too many drugs that run this slowly. some cardiac ones, but it would make sense to run the dosages this slow.

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