Question Pertaining to Dosage Calculations

[caprisgoddess]

In this problem why would you drop the 4 ?

Esmolol 1.5g in 250 mL D5W has been ordered at a rate of 100 mcg/kg/min for a client weighing 102.4 kg. What rate will you set on the IV pump?

______________________mL/hr

I got 102.4 but the right answer is 102 why would you dropt the 4?

[nurz2be]

In this problem why would you drop the 4 ?

Esmolol 1.5g in 250 mL D5W has been ordered at a rate of 100 mcg/kg/min for a client weighing 102.4 kg. What rate will you set on the IV pump?

______________________mL/hr

I got 102.4 but the right answer is 102 why would you dropt the 4?

The pumps I have used, you can't set them to a decimal point for a drip. So you round up or down depending on the decimal. Down for less than 5 and up for 5 or greater.

Hope this helps

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Well, the pump can't be set in fractions of a whole number. And remember from arithmetic, were the answer 0.5 you would round UP. Dropping the 0.4 is just rounding DOWN.

[caprisgoddess]

So to be safe on my dosage calculations exam I should just round to the next number. For example 19.6 I should put 20 mL/hour on the IV pump what if I have an answer like 19.4 would I put 19??

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

We use Alaris pumps and they most definitely have the ability to have a decimal point. If it were me, I wouldn't drop the 0.4.

That being said, when I put the weight into the pump I usually round the weight at that time.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

So to be safe on my dosage calculations exam I should just round to the next number. For example 19.6 I should put 20 mL/hour on the IV pump what if I have an answer like 19.4 would I put 19??

Yup.

Round up or down, per simple arithmetic.

:)