Dosage calculation for oxytocin is crucial in the induction of labor for patients at 41 weeks of pregnancy. Learn the proper starting rate for the intravenous infusion and the titration process necessary to ensure effective labor progression.
The labor and delivery nurse is preparing to initiate an intravenous infusion of oxytocin to induce labor in a patient who is 41 weeks pregnant.
The healthcare provider prescribes the infusion to begin at one (1) milliunits (mUnits)/min to be titrated every fifteen minutes by an increment of 2 mUnit per minute until labor has progressed and the patient is five centimeters (cm) dilated.
The medication is prepared in an infusion bag that contains 30 units of oxytocin in 1 liter (L) lactated ringers. At which rate (mL/hr) should the nurse initiate the infusion?
Note that 1 unit = 1000 mUnits
Units Round to the nearest whole number.
Use a leading zero if it applies. Don’t use a trailing zero.
Any rounding should be completed at the end of the calculation.
The answer must be numeric only. Don’t add any units of measurement.
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