COMMON CARDIAC

DRUG COMPUTATIONS

FRANK JOBEN GUILLER O

SORILLA, R.N.
 COMMON CARDIAC DRUGS
DRUG STOCK PREPARATION CONCENTRATION

NITROGLYCERIN / 10 mg / 10 ml 25 mg in D5W 250 1:1 or 0.1 mg/cc

10 mg in D5W 100
Isosorbide
Mononitrate
Nicardipine 10 mg / 10 ml 10 mg in D5W 100 1:1 or 0.1 mg/cc

.
Potassium 40 mEqs / 20 25 mEqs in D5W 1:1 or 0.1 mEqs/cc
Chloride (KCl) cc vial 250

Insulin 100 units/ cc *variable

Heparin 1000 units/cc 25,000 units in 1:1 or 100 units/cc

in 5 cc vial D5w250
 DRUG COMPUTATION
A. NTG, KCl, HEPARIN, INSULIN, NICARDEPINE

FORMULA:

CONCENTRATION = AMOUNT INCORPORATED (mg or mEqs or units)

TOTAL IVF (cc)

EXAMPLE: What is the concentration of KCl drip if 80 mEqs of KCl is

. incorporated in 400ml D5W?

CONCENTRATION = 80 mEqs
400 ml

CONCENTRATION = 0.2 mEqs/cc

 DRUG COMPUTATION
NTG, KCl, HEPARIN, INSULIN, NICARDEPINE

DOSE = CONCENTRATION (mg/ccor mEqs/cc or units/cc) X FLOW RATE (cc/hr)

mg/hr or mEqs/hour or units/hour
EXAMPLE: KCl drip (0.2 mEqs/cc) is running at 20 cc/hour.
Compute for the dose.

. DOSE = 0.2 mEqs/cc x 20 cc/hr

DOSE = 4 mEqs/hr
 DRUG COMPUTATION
NTG, KCl, HEPARIN, INSULIN, NICARDEPINE

FLOW RATE = DOSE (mg/hr; mEqs/hr; units/hr)

CONCENTRATION (mg/cc; mEqs/cc; units/cc)

= cc /hr
EXAMPLE: Compute for the flow rate of KCl drip (0.2
mEqs/cc) is infusing at 4 mEqs/hour.
(Concentration = 0.2 meqs/cc)

Flow Rate = 4 mEqs/hr.

0.2meqs/cc

Flow Rate = 20 cc/hr

 COMMON CARDIAC DRUGS

DRUG STOCK PREPARATION CONCENTRATION

DOPAMINE HCl / 200 mg / 5ml 200 mg in D5W 1:1 or 800 mcg/cc

AMPULE 250
premixed 200 mg in
D5W250

DOBUTAMINE 250 mg / 20 250 mg in D5W 1:1 or 1000 mcg/cc

(DOBUTREX)/ CC VIAL 250
250 mg in
Premixed D5W 250

EPINEPHRINE 1 mg / 1 ml 4 mg in D5W 250 1:1 or 16 mcg/cc

LEVOPHED 2 mg / 2 ml 4mg in D5W 250 1:1 or 16 mcg/cc

4mg/ 4ml
 DRUG COMPUTATION
B. (INOTROPICS) DOPAMINE, DUBUTAMINE,
EPINEPHRINE, LEVOPHED

FORMULA:

CONCENTRATION = AMOUNT INCORPORATED (mg) x 1000 mcg/mg

TOTAL IVF (cc)

= mcg/cc
.
EXAMPLE: What is the concentration of Dobutamine drip if 250 of
Dobutrex is incorporated in 50ml D5W?

CONCENTRATION = 250 mg x 1000 mcg/mg

50 cc

CONCENTRATION = 250,000 mcg

50 cc

CONCENTRATION = 5000 mcg/cc

 DRUG COMPUTATION

B. (INOTROPICS) DOPAMINE, DUBUTAMINE,

EPINEPHRINE, LEVOPHED

DOSE = FLOW RATE (cc/hr) X concentration (mcg/cc)

WEIGHT (kg) X 60 min/hr
= mcg/kg/min

EXAMPLE: What is the dose of Dobutamine drip 5,000 mcg/cc running

at 2 ml/hr? Patient’s weight is 72 kgs.

DOSE = 2 cc/hr X 5,000 mcg/cc

72 kgs X 60 min/hr

DOSE = 10,000 mcg/hr

4,320 kg/min/hr

DOSE = 2.31 or 2.3 mcg/kg/min

 DRUG COMPUTATION

B. (INOTROPICS) DOPAMINE, DUBUTAMINE,

EPINEPHRINE, LEVOPHED

FLOW RATE = DOSE (mcg/kg/min) X weight (kgs) x 60 min/hr

CONCENTRATION (mcg/cc)
= cc/hr

EXAMPLE: Compute for the flow rate of Dobutamine drip 5,000

mcg/cc infusing at 5 mcg/kg/min. Weight of patient is 50kgs.

FLOW RATE = 5 mcg/kg/min X 50 kgs x 60 min/hr

5000 mcg/cc
FLOW RATE = 15,000 mcg/hr
5000 mcg/cc

FLOW RATE = 3 cc/hr

 COMMON CARDIAC DRUGS
DRUG STOCK PREPARATION CONCENTRATION
LIDOCAINE 1000 MG/ 50 1000 mg in D5W
ml VIAL 250

premixed 1000 mg in
D5W 250

C. LIDOCAINE

DOSE = FLOW RATE (cc/hr) X amount incorporated (mg)

volume of IVF (cc) X 60 (min/hr)
 COMMON CARDIAC DRUGS
C. LIDOCAINE

FLOW RATE = DOSE (mg/min) Xvolume of IVF (cc) X60min/hr

amount incorporated (mg)
= (cc/hr )

Example. The patient needs a Lidocaine drip at 3 mg/min. Incorporate

1 gm in 250 cc D5W. Compute for the flow rate.

FLOW RATE = 3 mg/min X 250 cc X 60min/hr

1000 mg

FLOW RATE = 45,000

1000 FLOW RATE = 45 cc/hr
 DRUG COMPUTATION

D. POTASSIUM CHLORIDE (KCl) CORRECTION

= Mean Value (4.0)- Patient’s Value x Wt (kg) x 0.3 HALF CORRECTION
2

EXAMPLE: Patient Sy revealed serum potassium of 3.1. Compute for

the correction of KCl if the patient weighs 72 kg.

= Mean Value (4.0)- 3.1 x 72 kg x 0.3

2

= 19.44
2

= 9.72 or 9.7 mEqs of KCl

 DRUG COMPUTATION
E. Sodium Bicardbonate (NaHCo3) CORRECTION

= Base Excess (BE) x Wt (kg) x 0.3 HALF CORRECTION

2

EXAMPLE: ABG of patient Sy revealed HCO3 of 15 with BE of -7.7

How many mEqs of NaHCO3 will you give? Wt. 72 kgs.

= 7.7 x 72 kgs x 0.3

2

= 166.32
2

= 83.16 or 83.2 mEqs of NaHCO3

 DRUG COMPUTATION
F. OTHER COMPUTATIONS

EXAMPLE: The physician orders Tramadol 100 mg IV STAT. The stock

dose is 50 mg/ml in 2 ml ampule. How many ml of Tramadol will
you give?

Dose X Quantity
Stock

100 mg X 1ml
50 mg

= 2 ml of Tramadol
 EXERCISES:
1. The order is to give your 135 lb patient an 8 mcg/kg/min
Dopamine drip. The premixed solution contains 400 mg.
in 250 cc.
a. concentration.
b. Compute for the flow rate

2. You receive a patient in the ER from an outlying hospital.

The Dobutamine drip 1: 2 is on a pump going 16 cc/hr.
The MD orders have been lost & you need to know how
many mcg/kg/min this 188 lbs patient is receiving.

3. Your PTE patient is receiving a Heparin drip mixed

25,000 units in 250 cc at 9 cc/hr. Their APTT is sub
therapeutic.
a.Compute for the concentration.
b.What is the dose of the heparin drip?
 EXERCISES:

4. After your discussion with the MD (Ques #3), they give

a verbal order to “set the heparin drip at 1000
units/hr”. What will you set the rate on?

5. Your patient needs a Lidocaine drip at 3 mg/min.

Incorporate 1 gm in 250 cc D5W. Compute for the
flow rate and concentration.

6. The order reads start Levophed 1:4 to run at 0.1

mcg/kg/min. The patient weighs 65 kgs. Compute for
the FR.
THANK YOU