Question

29. Your patient is to be started on heparin therapy for a possible pulmonary embolus. She weighs 157 lbs. She is to receive a bolus dose of 70 units/kg.How much heparin will you give her? Please expleeh Thank you 4970 units 30. The same patient as in #29 is now to be started on an infusion of heparin that is mixed 50,000units heparin in 500 ml. D5/W. The infusion is to be started @ 18 units/kg/hr. How will you set the IV pump? 12.8 ml/hr.

Answer 1

29. The bolus dose of heparin is 70 units/kg

     The weight of the patient is 157 lbs

      The weight should be converted to kilograms as the dose states units per kg

      157 lbs = 71 kgs (1 pound is 0.45 kg)

      71 kgs $\times$ 70 units of heparin = 4970 units

30. The 500ml of D5/W consists of 50,000 units of heparin

     0.01 ml of D5/W contains 1 unit of heparin ( 500 ml of D5/W $\div$ 50,000 units of heparin = 0.01)

     The infusion for the patient to be started at a dose of 18 units/kg/hr

     The weight of the patient is 71 kgs $\times$ 18 = 1,278 units per hour

     Dose per hour $\times$ units of medicine in ml = 1,278 $\times$ 0.01 = 12.78 ml can be rounded to 12.8 ml of infusion each hour.