Lanoxin, a drug used to treat heart rhythm problems, must be carefully controlled.?

by Admin on August 26, 2010

at a dosage of 12.0 ug/kg body weight, how msny milligams (mg) of lanoxin should a 175 patient recieve?

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

N August 26, 2010 at 11:15 pm

I assume it is a 175 lb patient (you didn’t specify lbs or kgs).
175 lbs / 2.2= 80 kg
12 mcg * 80 kg= 960 mcg
960 mcg = 0.96 mg or approximately 1 mg

This is a pretty high dose of digoxin, are you calculating a loading dose? Usually the dose is 0.125 or 0.5 mg daily. Digoxin levels should be monitored to further titrate the dose.

GaryR August 26, 2010 at 11:15 pm

Emphasizing what N has told you, Lanoxin (Digoxin) is a powerful, potent drug that is useful for assisting cardiac performance in CHF patients, but the therapeutic dose range is VERY narrow. You need to carefully monitor the patient’s Dig levels and tweak and adjust the dosage levels for each and every individual patient. You can’t just blindly prescribe the medicine and not follow up closely on the individual patient’s response. Everyone’s response will vary a little. It must be monitored closely.

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