A client weighing 220 lb is receiving dopamine at a rate of 3 mcg/kg/minute. How many ml/hour should the nurse set the infusion pump to deliver?

To determine the correct dosage rate in ml/hour for a client receiving dopamine at 3 mcg/kg/minute, it's important to follow a systematic calculation process.

Firstly, you need to convert the client's weight from pounds to kilograms since the dosage is calculated based on kg. The conversion factor is approximately 1 kg = 2.2 lb. Therefore, with a weight of 220 lb, the client weighs about 100 kg (220 lb ÷ 2.2 lb/kg).

Next, calculate the total dose the client should receive based on their weight:

3 mcg/kg/min * 100 kg = 300 mcg/min.

To convert this dose from mcg/minute to mcg/hour, simply multiply by the number of minutes in an hour (60 minutes):

300 mcg/min * 60 min/hour = 18,000 mcg/hour.

Next, it is essential to know the concentration of the dopamine solution being used for the infusion. Usually, dopamine is available in specific concentrations such as 400 mg/250 ml or 800 mg/500 ml. However, for the sake of this problem, let's assume that the concentration being used is 400 mg (or 400,000 mcg) in 250