Dopamine Help

[erice2592]

This is mainly for kiwi, but i know there are a ton of knowledgeable medics on the forum, just looking for on-th-go methods for calculating dopamine administartion. the clock method just makes smoke come out of my ears. Thanks Guys.

on-the-go *Spell Check*

[paramedicmike]

Call me old school but I do the math.

And yes. I do carry a calculator separate from the one on my phone.

[Arctickat]

What??!! Your ambulances don't all have a calculator as standard equipment? Mine are velcroed to the wall beside the DVD remote. The Plum A+ infusion pump is kinda handy too.

Old story. 4 of us having coffee. One new kid fresh outta school and the rest of us with at least 10 years under our belts. New kid is whining about how complicated IV calculations were in school and one of the guys says, "Why don't you just use a calculator?" Kid responds with "Who the hell carries a calculator around everywhere they go."

All three of us pulled our calcs out of our pockets and tossed them onto the table.

Next day he had a nice shiny new calculator.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Arctickat

[tcripp]

I agree with Mike - do the math. But to impress your friends...try this. To estimate for 5 mcg/kg/min - take the patient's weight in lbs -> drop the last digit, subtract 3. That's the number of drops per minute.

220 lbs = 22 - 3 = 19 gtts/min

For 10 mcg/kg/min - double that...38 gtts/min

For 20...double that.

Of course, since most titrate to effect, this gives you a fair starting point until you can confirm with the math for that critical call with no room for the calculator.

Toni

[HarryM]

Surely it's not safe to measure a patient's weight in lbs if the drug calc is based on kg...

Edited August 14, 2012 by HarryM

[rock_shoes]

Surely it's not safe to measure a patient's weight in lbs if the drug calc is based on kg...

Convert pounds to kilograms. Simple as that.

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[tcripp]

Surely it's not safe to measure a patient's weight in lbs if the drug calc is based on kg...

It's an "on-the-go method" as requested and the use of lb vs kg is part of the "trick". You want 100% precise...use the calculator.

[paramedicmike]

Well, no. If you want 100% precise you use a pump. Otherwise, anything else you attempt is simply guestimating.

[tcripp]

You guys are killing me...

[paramedicmike]

I should have specified that it was a general "you" and not any "you" in particular. Or I could've said "we".

Or...

Or...

Or...