Patient Safety & Quality AssuranceQuestion 60 of 100
A heparin infusion is prepared by adding 25,000 units of heparin to a 250 mL bag of diluent. Which final concentration should appear on the label?
a.10 units/mL
b.25 units/mL
c.100 units/mL
d.1,000 units/mL
Explanation
25,000 units divided by 250 mL equals 100 units/mL, and because heparin is a high-alert drug this figure should be confirmed by an independent double check before the bag is released. 10 units/mL and 25 units/mL understate the concentration, while 1,000 units/mL is a ten-fold overstatement that would lead a nurse to infuse far too little or far too much heparin for the ordered rate.
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