Pitocin and Magnesium Sulfate Practice Questions
With Answers
NUR 359
Pitocin
1. A client is being admitted to L & D for induction of labor using Pitocin. An IV has been
started with a #16 gauge catheter. The fluid is LR which is running at 125 hr/hr. Per protocol,
10 units of Pitocin is added to a 500 ml bag of D5LR and piggybacked into the primary IV
line, which infuses by gravity. The IV pump for the Pitocin is set at 6 ml/hr. How many
milliunits/minute of Pitocin is this patient receiving? 2 mu/min
2. The physician ordered the Pitocin infusion to run at 16mu/min. The pharmacy sent up 10 units
of Pitocin in 500mL of D5LR. You would set your pump at _48___mL/hour.
3. Your client is undergoing a labor induction. The infusion has 10 Units of Pitocin in 1000 mL of
Normal Saline. She started to receive the medication at 3 mu/min and is ordered to have it
titrated 1 mu/min every 20 minutes until the contractions are 2 to 3 minutes apart.
a. What is the concentration factor? 10 mu/mL
b. What rate will you set the pump for the initial infusion? 18 mL/hour
c. What will the rate be one hour after starting the infusion? 36 mL/hour
Magnesium Sulfate
1. A patient is admitted for preeclampsia. A Magnesium Sulfate infusion is ordered 30 gm in 1000
mL of D5W. The bolus is 4 gm over 30 minutes followed by a maintenance rate of 0.5 Gm/hour.
a. What is the concentration factor? 30 mg/mL
b. What is the bolus rate? 267 mL/hour
c. What is the maintenance rate? 17 mL/hour
2. Dr. Franklin has ordered 25 Gm of Magnesium Sulfate into 500 mL of NSS. Then 8 gm should be
administered over the next 15 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusion of 2.5 gm per hour.
a. What is the concentration factor? 50 mg/mL
b. What is the bolus rate? 640 mL/hour
c. What is the maintenance rate? 50 mL/hour