Saturday, December 8, 2012

Calculating Dopamine Drip Rate

Do you know how to calculate the dopamine drip rate, the fast way? It's actually quit simple. We will break down step by step, and even give an example of how to calculate it.

Step 1: Take the patient's weight in pounds, and drop the last digit
Step 2: Subtract 2 from the remaining number
    Your final number, is the dosing for 5mcg dose for that patient in gtts/min of mL/hr

Let's do a few examples:

Example 1: Patient Weight = 210
          210 ---> 210 ---> 21-2=19 ------> 19gtts/min for 5mcg dopamine dose

Example 2: Patient Weight = 128 pounds
          128 ---> 128 ---> 12-2=10 ------> 10gtts/min for 5mcg dopamine dose

Example 3: Patient Weights = 62 kilograms
         62 x 2 = 124 ----> 124 + 12 = 136 --------> 136 pounds
                                                   (take 10%)
             136 ---> 136 ---> 13-2 = 11 -------> 11gtts/min for 5mcg dopamine dose

Now let's say that you want to give the dose as 10mcg. All you do, is figure out the dose for 5mcg, than double it.

Example: Patient Weight 100 pounds
         100 ---> 100 ---> 10-2 = 8 --------> 8gtts/min for 5 mcg dopamine dose
                  8 + 8  = 16 ------> 16gtts/min for 10mcg dopamine dose



Let's figure out the dose for dopamine, and the drip rate for dopamine for a patient.
      Patient Weight: 150 pounds (68 kg)
      Dopamine Supplied: 2-20 mcg/kg/min
      Drip Rate: 10mcg

               1) 10mcg/kg/min x 68 kg = 680mcg
               2) 150 ---> 150 ---> 15-2=13 --------> 13gtss/min of 5mcg dopamine dose
               3) 13gtts/min x 2 (double) = 26 -------> 26gtts/min dopamine dose
     
           You would give you patient 680mcg of dopamine, with a drip rate of 26gtts/min.


9 comments:

  1. Do you have any tricks for getting drip rates for other dosages of dopamine such as 4mcg/8/9/15 ect but using that same method

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  2. How does 8x2=14 and how is 10mcg a Drip Rate? Not to get too picky, but in all of this, you have yet to specify what drip set you are using

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    Replies
    1. I'm willing to guess that the 8x2=14 is a typo. It happens. And dopamine is usually hung with a 60 drop set.

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    2. Cool. Thanks for replying

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    3. Hello everyone. Sorry for the late reply, I work three jobs and do not always get to check this email everyday.

      You guys are correct, that was a typo. I will make the correction.

      Once you figure out the 5mcg dpse, you just have to double that dose for you 10mcg. That tootal would be 16 mxg, because you are doubling the "8."

      As for the gtts set, the formula works for any drip gtts, however the most commonly used gtts set is 60.

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    4. This also only works for a 1600 concentration

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    5. This also only works for a 1600 concentration

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  3. You do know that 21-2 is 19 and not 18 right?

    ReplyDelete