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I'm not good in math. Hi I'm a nursing student and I need help solving the following problem. Please show me step by step on how to solve this and rational. I would very much appreciate it.

You are to infuse 1 unit of packed red blood cells for every gram of hemoglobin below 8. The current hemoglobin is 5. What equation would you use to determine the answer and how many units of packed red blood cells would you infuse?

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I'm not good in math. Hi I'm a nursing student and I need help solving the following problem. Please show me step by step on how to solve this and rational. I would very much appreciate it.

You are to infuse 1 unit of packed red blood cells for every gram of hemoglobin below 8. The current hemoglobin is 5. What equation would you use to determine the answer and how many units of packed red blood cells would you infuse?

Ok, so let's look at this together.

How many units of hemoglobin below 8 is the patient currently?

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I'm not good in math. Hi I'm a nursing student and I need help solving the following problem. Please show me step by step on how to solve this and rational. I would very much appreciate it.

You are to infuse 1 unit of packed red blood cells for every gram of hemoglobin below 8. The current hemoglobin is 5. What equation would you use to determine the answer and how many units of packed red blood cells would you infuse?

This does not require a math genius. Go back to basics.

If you are to infuse 1 unit for every gram under 8 and your current is 5. What would you infuse? Just think about it and you'll find your answer. I've noticed that students are so freaked out about numbers that they label themselves poor at math without really trying. So your first step is to drop your self diagnosed label since its holding you back and then think about what the problem is asking of you. Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU.

Step 1 - Setting up the equation:

a) Do you have any variables? If so, how many? I count two possible**. Can you tell me what they are in words (Hint: One of the variables is the number of units to infuse. Call that "x")

b) What mathematical operation would you use to find how many grams under 8? (Hint: Under = less than.)

c) What mathematical operation would you use to find out how many units to infuse per gram under 8?

d) What is the end result you're looking for? "X" right? Begin by saying "x =" then use the steps above to determine how you would find the value of x.

**Next steps: After you've used the information you have to craft an equation, can you think of a way to make the equation universal based on the information that is conditional? (Hint: Not all patient's hemoglobin levels will be the same)

Step 2 - Use the equation you've constructed to solve with the values you have on hand.

Your equation should be your rationale.

Hope that helps.

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This is not complicated if you know what a unit of blood is, what hgb is, and can see what the situation is....Ok 8-5=3, that is all the math in your question. The context is what makes it confusing as does it for most math questions early in nursing school because you don't know what the situation means. Hemoglobin is a lab values indicative of the amount of red blood cells. A unit of blood is a standard amount of red cells taken from one unit of whole blood. (a unit is a measurement not equivalent to anything else but that item, for example a unit of blood is not the same amount as a unit of insulin or a unit of heparin. In fact a unit of packed red blood cells may be a different volume from another unit of prbc's by some ml, 230 vrs 250 but are considered the same.) So to bring a hemoglobin up generally one unit of prbc's will increase the hgb by one gram--that's why you see it ordered like that--infuse one unit for every gram below 8. So hopefully if you infuse 3 units of blood the hgb should increase to 8 from 5. However, if it doesn't that indicates the patient is still bleeding. A hgb of 8 is not great to start with but with disease and risks with transfusions they are more conservative than 25 years ago when they transfused people with hgb's of 10 routinely.

You start out by saying you are not good in math--stop saying that you are setting yourself up. Certainly you couldn't have gotten into nursing school without math skills.

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Specializes in ICU.
I'm not good in math. Hi I'm a nursing student and I need help solving the following problem. Please show me step by step on how to solve this and rational. I would very much appreciate it.

You are to infuse 1 unit of packed red blood cells for every gram of hemoglobin below 8. The current hemoglobin is 5. 1) What equation would you use to determine the answer and 2) how many units of packed red blood cells would you infuse?

Answers:

1) x = (8-5)(1)

For two variables: x = (8-y)(1)

Where "x" is the number of units to infuse and "y" is the patient's hemoglobin level.

2) If y = 5 then x = 3 units of packed red blood cells

8-5 = 3

3 x 1 = 3

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Im gonna guess 3.

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