Dopamine and Dobutamine Computations

Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter that occurs in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five types of dopamine receptorsD1, D2, D3, D4, and D5and their variants. Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area.
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Dopamine is also a neurohormone released by the hypothalamus. Its main function as a hormone is to

inhibit the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary. Dobutamine is a sympathomimetic drug used in the treatment of heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Its primary mechanism is direct stimulation of 1 receptors of the sympathetic nervous system.
for DOPAMINE, the constants are single dose = 13.3 (translates to 200/250 or 400/500) double dose = 26.6 (translates to 400/250 or 800/500) ... for DOBUTAMINE, the constants are single dose = 16.6 (translates to 250/250 or 500/500) double dose = 33.3 (translates to 500/250 or 1000/500) the formula for the above computation is always... DOSAGE x WT ___________ constant FOR THE EXPLANATION OF CONSTANT: notice in the sample computation of double-dose dopamine: pt wt. 176lbs. doctor ordered 5mcg/kg/MIN. available is 400/250 DOPAMINE in D5 water. how many ml/hr to give? (5 mcg / kg min) x (80 kg) x (250 ml / 400 mg) x (1 mg / 1000 mcg) x (60 min / 1 hr) if we summarize the 2nd line, this can be reduced to: (5 mcg / kg min) x (80 kg) x (0.0375 ml min / mcg hr) the short-cut it is: (5 mcg / kg min) x (80 kg) ________________________________ 26.6 <-- (this is the RECIPROCAL of 0.0375) : so in actuality the unit of 26.6 is (mcg hr / ml min)

WHY IS THERE A NEED TO KNOW THE CONSTANT? IN SOME CASES, 400/250 IS NOT BEING MENTIONED IN NCLEX... SOMETIMES THE QUESTION WOULD BE LIKE pt wt. 176lbs. doctor ordered 5mcg/kg/MIN. available is DOUBLE-DOSE DOPAMINE in D5 water. how many ml/hr to give? so in this case we know that we will be using 26.6...

for the rest of the computation... just remember to elimitate the UNITS thru multiplication process in order to come up with the CORRECT DESIRED UNITS... REMEMBER YOUR CONVERSION FACTORS FOR TIME,WEIGHT & VOLUME......

example 2 Infuse Dobutamine 500 mg in 250 ml D5W at 5 mcg/kg/min using microdrip tubing.The client weighs 182 lbs. Determine the ml/hr and the gtts/min. Given: 500mg/250ml (this is double-dose dobu) 5 mcg/kg/min 182 lbs 60gtts/ml <------- microdrip Find:ml/hr 182 lbs x (1kg/2.2lbs) = 82.7kg (5 mcg/kg min) x (82.7kg) = 413.5 mcg/min 413.5 mcg/min x 1mg/1000mcg = .4135 mg/min .4135 mg/min x 250ml/500mg <--- ML is the numerator since were looking for ML/HR = 0.20675ml/min = 0.20675ml/min x (60 min / 1 hr) = 12.4 ml/hr <--ans ... using the short-cut: 33.3 is constant for double dose dobutamine... 5mcg/kg-min x 82.7kg divide by 33.3 = 12.41 ml/hr <--same answer.^^ Find: gtts/min 12.41 ml/hr x (1 hr/60 min) x (60gtts/ml) = = 12 gtts/min... <---answer (Drops Per Minute MUST always be in WHOLE NUMBERS while ml/min, ml/hr,etc may have decimal points)

Source:
http://rnstuff.blogspot.com/2008/03/dopamine-and-dobutamine-computations.html

University Of Cebu- Banilad Banilad, Cebu City

A Reading On

Dopamine and Dobutamine Computations

Submitted to: Ms. Blanche Nunez, RN Clinical Instructor

Submitted by: Ann Mariel C. Maratas BSN III-F Student