Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 6 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.
A newborn has a cephalohaematoma. What should the nurse monitor closely over the next days?
A 6-week-old is admitted with suspected pertussis. What is the main nursing concern?
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A bag contains 25 000 units of heparin in 250 mL. The order is 15 units/kg/h for a patient who weighs 93 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). A dobutamine infusion of 250 mg in 250 mL runs at 32 mL/h. The patient weighs 70 kg. What dose D in mcg/kg/min is the patient receiving? Round to one decimal place.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). The record shows a patient's intake and output for one 12-hour shift. The IV infusion ran at the rate shown for the whole shift. Find the fluid balance B = intake − output in mL (a negative answer means a net loss). Count ice chips as half their volume.
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A 500 mL bag runs by pump at 125 mL/h. At 20:30, 200 mL have already been infused. How many hours t until the bag is empty? Round to one decimal place.
Answer: A · Jaundice, because the breakdown of the trapped blood adds to bilirubin
A cephalohaematoma is a collection of blood under the periosteum. As the red cells break down, bilirubin rises, so these babies have a higher risk of jaundice. The swelling itself usually resolves over weeks without treatment.
Answer: A · Apnoea and cyanosis during or after coughing spells
Young infants with pertussis are at high risk of apnoea, cyanosis, exhaustion and feeding problems. They need close cardiorespiratory monitoring, suction equipment at hand and droplet precautions.
Answer: R = 14 mL/h
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: D = 7.6 mcg/kg/min
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: B = 385 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.
Positive: more fluid went in than came out.
Answer: t = 2.4 h
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.
That is about 2 h 24 min, so the bag runs out at about 22:54.
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