Nursing Math: Heparin Drip and Heparin Titration

The speaker, Caroline Porter Thomas, welcomes viewers to the educational video and introduces the topic of heparin drip calculations. She acknowledges that many viewers have requested more math tips and decides to tackle a complex nursing task involving math: setting up a heparin drip. Caroline explains that heparin drips are weight-based dosages and can be intimidating for nurses new to the procedure. She plans to provide an example of what a heparin drip might look like, including the math involved, to give viewers an understanding of the nursing responsibilities and the importance of dimensional analysis in nursing practice.

In this paragraph, Caroline delves deeper into the concept of dimensional analysis, a technique used to solve mathematical problems in nursing, particularly for heparin drip calculations. She admits that she was not familiar with the term before nursing school and provides a link to a video that explains dimensional analysis in detail. The paragraph continues with a step-by-step walkthrough of how to calculate the dosage based on the patient's weight and the hospital's standard rate of 12 units per kilogram. Caroline also explains how to convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms and how to determine the drip rate in milliliters per hour using the unwanted quantity elimination method.

Caroline discusses the process of adjusting the heparin drip based on the patient's Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) results. She explains that initial PTT values are usually less than 35 seconds before starting the heparin drip and that subsequent PTT tests are ordered every six hours to 'titrate' the drip. The paragraph covers how to interpret PTT results and adjust the drip rate accordingly. For instance, if the PTT is therapeutic (e.g., 48 seconds), no changes are needed, but if the PTT is too high (e.g., 90 seconds), the rate is decreased by 2 units per kilogram per hour. Caroline also explains the process of stopping the drip for 30 minutes before restarting it at the adjusted rate.

In the final paragraph, Caroline addresses the situation where the PTT result is low (e.g., 36 seconds), which requires an increase in the drip rate by two units per kilogram per hour and the administration of a bolus dose. She guides through the calculation of the new drip rate and the bolus dose based on the patient's weight in kilograms. Caroline clarifies that the bolus dose is a one-time intravenous push and is not as complicated as it sounds. She emphasizes the importance of accurately calculating the dosage and ensuring the correct administration of heparin to maintain therapeutic PTT levels. The video concludes with Caroline thanking the viewers for their attention and encouraging them to like, share, and subscribe for more content.