Question

1. Nesiritide is ordered to infuse at 0.01 mcg/kg/min for a patient with congestive heart failure. The nesiritide is available in a 1.5 mg/250mL D5W concentration. How many mL/hr should the nesiritide infuse for an 80-kg patient?

A) 0.8 ml/hr

b) 80 ml/hr

C)8.6 ml/hr

d) 8ml/hr

Answer 1

Weight of the patient = 80 kg

Initial dose of the drug = 0.01 mcg/kg/min

Then, initial dose of the patient will be = 80 kg X 0.01 cg/kg/min = 0.8 mcg/min

Now, after converting the initial dose of the patient in mcg/hour, we will get 4.8mcg/hr

The available dose of the drug = 1.5 mg per 250 ml OR 1500 mcg/250ml OR 6mcg/ml

Infusion rate in ml per hour = initial dose divided by the available dose

= 4.8 (mcg/hr) / 6 (mcg/ml)

= 0.8 ml/hr

That's why option A is correct.