med. calculations

1. Hello i am a new R.N. in NICU, I transfered from our Special Care Unit and am having a hard time with the med calculations of figuring some of our medications in NICU ex, heparin flushes for UAC/UVC lines is the any suggestions on how this math can be made easier for me????????? Thanks for the suggestions.
2. 

   About premern

   Joined: Mar '03; Posts: 22
   R.N. Baby Nurse
   Specialty: NICU, Newborn Nursery, L&D

   18 Comments

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3. 
   Mar 16, '03

   How do you mix your flushes?
   
   Heather
4. 
   Mar 16, '03

   Hi thanks for writing back. Our regular Heparin flushes are pre mixed by our pharmacy.
5. 
   Mar 16, '03

   What kind of trouble are you having?
   
   Heather
6. 
   Mar 17, '03

   Are you wondering how much flush to use for those particular lines?
7. 
   Mar 17, '03

   Hello I think it is more the figuring how to set up the calculation to figure it. It is my dose divided by what I have on hand correct? Sometimes this just stumps me. I just feel like I am so stupid down there but so comfortable in the level 2 nursery? Thanks for the replies. Racquel
8. 
   Mar 17, '03

   This is how I learned it:
   
   Dose ordered (5mg)
   --------------------------------- x volume on hand (1ml)
   Dose on hand (25mg vial)
   
   In this example, your answer would be 0.20 ml and this is how much you would draw up. Is that what you meant?
   
   And stop feeling stupid!!! That's what cheat sheets and calculators are for. You'll learn it, but it takes time and repetition. ;>)
9. 
   Mar 17, '03

   Thank you I will write this calculation down!!!!
10. 
    Mar 17, '03

    I'm finding these are helpful...
    
    http://www.accd.edu/sac/nursing/math/showme.html
    
    http://pharmacy.uams.edu/calculation...ous_infus.html
    
    There's a few more sites out there to help.
11. 
    Mar 18, '03

    If I am not mistaken......our institution use saline to flush the UAC and UVC lines because normally we have .9NS or whatever fluid the doctor has ordered running with 1:1
    heparin continuously running at 1cc/hr. If we draw blood from either line we basically flush it with saline until the line is cleared and that is it.
12. 
    Mar 19, '03

    I tend to flush with whatever is running through the UAC. If it is 1/2 NS or 1/3 NS I make my flushes the same. It also depends on the babies NA+.
13. 
    Mar 19, '03

    We flush our UAC/UVC's with 1/4NS w/ 1 unit heparin/cc.
    
    Heather
14. 
    Mar 20, '03

    Hello Heather when you were talking about the 1/4 ns flushes W 1unit heparin/cc that is what I was having a hard time figuring how much heparin to add and how exactly to figure it example in a 40 cc flush of 1/4 NS and heparin?
    Then what about flushes 1/4 NS but in 20cc? Thanks one of these days I will get it!!!

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