A 73 year-old male (weight 68 kg) is admitted due to severe pneumonia. Shortly after admission he goes into septic shock and is prescribed dopamine 5 mcg/kg/min. You pharmacy stocks 400 mg in 250 ml premixed solution. At what rate (mL/min) would you instruct the nurse to administer the prepared solution? (2 marks)

Amount of dopamine required per min:

5 * 68 = 340 mcg/min

Premixed solution: 400mg/250ml -> 1.6mg/ml -> 1600 mcg/ml

Ratio to convert 1600 mcg to 340 mcg: 340/1600 or 34/160

1 ml * 34/160 = 0.21 ml

Rate to deliver 340 mcg/min is 0.2 ml/min