A client with septic shock is to receive dextrose 5% in water with dopamine 0.6 grams/250 ml at a rate of 5 mcg/kg/minute. If the client weighs 148 lbs, how many ml/hour should the nurse set?

To determine the correct infusion rate for the client receiving dopamine in dextrose 5% in water, first convert the client's weight from pounds to kilograms. The conversion factor is that 1 kg is approximately 2.2 lbs. Therefore, a client weighing 148 lbs weighs about 67.27 kg (148 lbs ÷ 2.2).

Next, calculate the total dose of dopamine the client needs based on their weight and the prescribed rate of 5 mcg/kg/min.

1. Calculate the required dosage in mcg per minute:

• 5 mcg/kg/min × 67.27 kg = 336.35 mcg/min.

2. Convert mcg/min to mg/min because the concentration of dopamine is given in grams per 250 ml. Since there are 1,000 mcg in a mg, divide the result by 1,000:

• 336.35 mcg/min ÷ 1,000 = 0.33635 mg/min.

3. Now, convert the required dosage from mg/min to grams/min:

• 0.33635 mg/min is 0.00033635 grams/min.

4. Given that the dopamine concentration is 0.6