The healthcare provider prescribes oxytocin 2 milliunits/minute to induce labor for a client at 41-weeks gestation. The nurse initiates an infusion of Ringer’s Lactate solution 1000 mL with oxytocin 10 units. How many mL/hour should the nurse program the infusion pump? (Enter numeric value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To determine how many mL/hour the nurse should program the infusion pump, follow these steps:
- Calculate the concentration of oxytocin in the Ringer’s Lactate solution: The total amount of oxytocin in the solution is 10 units, and the volume of the solution is 1000 mL. So, the concentration of oxytocin is: [
\text{Concentration of oxytocin} = \frac{10 \text{ units}}{1000 \text{ mL}} = 0.01 \text{ units/mL}
] - Determine the infusion rate required to administer oxytocin at 2 milliunits/minute: First, convert 2 milliunits to units: [
2 \text{ milliunits} = 0.002 \text{ units}
] To find the volume of the solution needed to provide 0.002 units per minute, use the concentration: [
\text{Volume required per minute} = \frac{0.002 \text{ units}}{0.01 \text{ units/mL}} = 0.2 \text{ mL/minute}
] - Convert the infusion rate to mL/hour: Multiply the volume per minute by the number of minutes in an hour: [
\text{Infusion rate (mL/hour)} = 0.2 \text{ mL/minute} \times 60 \text{ minutes/hour} = 12 \text{ mL/hour}
]
Therefore, the nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 12 mL/hour.
Explanation:
The calculation involves determining the concentration of the medication in the infusion solution, which is essential to ensure the correct dosage is administered. By converting the prescribed oxytocin rate (2 milliunits/minute) into the volume of the solution needed, and then scaling this rate to an hourly infusion, the correct infusion rate in mL/hour is obtained. This approach ensures that the patient receives the exact dose of oxytocin required for labor induction.