87. A physician orders oxytocin IV for the augmentation of labor. The premixed IV has 20 units of oxytocin in 1,000 mL of lactated Ringer's solution. The oxytocin is ordered to begin at 6 milliunits/min. To administer the correct dose, a nurse should begin the infusion at _______ mL/hr via infusion pump.
Test-Taking Tip
The initial concentration of oxytocin is in units/mL, which needs to be converted to milliunits/min. Pay attention to the complex conversion from units/mL to milliunits per minute.
Content Area: Maternity, Intrapartum; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Implementation; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Physiological Integrity/Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies/Dosage Calculation
18 mL/hr
The answer is calculated as follows:
20 units/1,000 mL = 0.02 units/mL. This is the concentration of the drug.
A pump rate of 1 mL/hr = 0.02 units/hr.
Pitocin is most commonly expressed as milliunits/minute. Convert 6 milliunits/min to units/min by dividing by 1,000 mL (volume of infusion). The result is 0.006 unit/min. Multiply by 60 minutes = 0.36 units/hr × 0.02 units/hr (amount delivered in 1 mL/hr). Pump would be set to a rate of 18 mL/hr.