What infusion rate should the nurse program for 0.5 grams of dobutamine in a 250 ml infusion at 5 mcg/kg/min for a client weighing 75 kg?

To determine the correct infusion rate for dobutamine at a dose of 5 mcg/kg/min for a patient weighing 75 kg, the total dose of dobutamine needed per minute must first be calculated.

The calculation involves the following steps:

1. Calculate the total dose per minute: Multiply the patient’s weight in kg by the dose in mcg/kg/min.

[

75 , \text{kg} \times 5 , \text{mcg/kg/min} = 375 , \text{mcg/min}

]

2. Convert mcg to grams: Since there are 1,000,000 mcg in a gram, convert 375 mcg to grams.

[

375 , \text{mcg} \times \frac{1 , \text{g}}{1,000,000 , \text{mcg}} = 0.000375 , \text{g/min}

]

3. Determine how much solution is needed per hour:

Since there are 60 minutes in an hour:

[

0.000375 , \text{g