The physician ordered 10 units of Pitocin in 1000 mL of D5W. It is to infuse at 3 milliunits/minute per infusion pump. What is the correct IV rate in milliliters per hour? Round to the nearest whole number.
A) 16
B) 17
C) 18
D) 19

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When solving any problem, first check that the order and the supply are in the same weight measure. For this problem, an equivalent is necessary. This is a multi-step problem. First, reduce the numbers in the standard solution to units per milliliter: 10 units/1000 mL = 0.01 units/1 mL. Then, change units to milliunits: 0.01 units/mL * 1000 = 10 milliunits/mL. Next, divide by 60 to get milliunits per minute: 10 milliunits/mL ÷ 60 minutes = 0.166 milliunits/minute. Estimate the amount to give. Round to the nearest whole number. Formula Method: 3 milliunits/minute ÷ 0.166 milliunits/minute * 1 mL = 18.07 mL/hour = 18 mL/hour. Proportion (Ratios): 1 mL : 0.166 milliunits :: x mL : 3 milliunits; 0.166x = 3/0.166 = 18 mL/hour. Proportion (Fractions): 1 mL/0.166 milliunits = x mL/3 milliunits; 0.166x = 3/0.166 = 18 mL/hour. Use two conversion factors for dimensional analysis. Dimensional Analysis: 1000 mL/10 units * 3 milliunits/minute * 60 minutes/1 hour *1 unit/1000 milliunits = 1000 mL * 3 * 1 * 60/10 * 1000 * 1 hour * 1 = 180,000/10,000 = 18 mL/hour.

The Physician Ordered 10 Units of Pitocin in 1000 ML