Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 6 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.
Which non-drug technique suits a 5-year-old during a cannula insertion?
An 18-month-old with gastroenteritis has a heart rate of 170/min, a capillary refill time of 4 seconds and cool hands and feet. Her blood pressure is normal. What does this indicate?
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A practice protocol calls for a heparin bolus of 70 units/kg for a patient who weighs 94 kg. The vial contains 1 000 units/mL. What volume V do you draw up? Round to one decimal place.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A bag contains dobutamine 250 mg in 250 mL. The order is 2.5 mcg/kg/min for a patient who weighs 52 kg. At what rate R do you set the pump, in mL/h? Round to one decimal place.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). The record shows a patient's intake and output for one 8-hour shift. The IV infusion ran at the rate shown for the whole shift. Find the total intake I in mL.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 500 mL bag was started at 12:00 and runs by pump at 120 mL/h. How many mL V are left in the bag at 15:00?
Answer: A · Blowing bubbles or looking at a pop-up book
Distraction that suits the child's age, such as bubbles, books, toys or videos, reduces pain and distress. Blowing bubbles also encourages slow, deep breathing. Parents are encouraged to stay and help.
Answer: D · Compensated shock that needs urgent treatment
Tachycardia, prolonged capillary refill and cool peripheries with a normal blood pressure suggest compensated shock. Children can maintain blood pressure until they suddenly decompensate, so urgent medical review and fluid resuscitation are needed.
Answer: V = 6.6 mL
Heparin and insulin infusions: concentration = units in the bag/bag volume (units/mL). Pump rate (mL/h) = units per hour/concentration, and units per hour = mL/h × concentration. For a weight-based order, units/h = units/kg/h × weight first. A bolus volume = units needed/vial strength. The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Answer: R = 7.8 mL/h
Titrated drips: first find the concentration in mcg/mL (mg × 1000/mL). For a weight-based order, mcg/min = mcg/kg/min × weight. Then mL/h = mcg/min × 60/concentration. Working backwards, mcg/kg/min = mL/h × concentration/(60 × weight). The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Answer: I = 1450 mL
Intake and output: intake counts everything that goes in (oral fluids, IV infusions, IV medications and flushes, tube feeds); ice chips count as half their volume. Output counts urine, drains, vomit and other losses. Balance = total intake − total output; a negative balance is a net loss. The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
Answer: V = 140 mL
Infusion time: time (h) = volume to infuse (mL)/rate (mL/h); use the volume still left in the bag, not the bag size. Volume infused = rate × time. Convert decimal hours to hours and minutes with the fraction × 60 (0.5 h = 30 min, not 50 min). The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.
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