Question

1. a) The nurse is preparing to administer a 1L Lactated Ringer’s (LR) IV fluid bag at 125mL/hr. The IV tubing contains a Macro Drip set with a drop factor of 20gtts/mL. In order to administer the IV fluid at the correct rate, how drops per minute must the nurse observe in the chamber?

b) The nurse is preparing to administer a 1L D5½NS+20K IV fluid bag at 70mL/hr. The IV tubing contains a Macro Drip set with a drop factor of 10gtts/mL. In order to administer the IV fluid at the correct rate, how drops per minute must the nurse observe in the chamber?

Answer 1

Question no a

Drops per minute= total volume in ml × drop factor in gtt/ ml / , divided by time (in minutes)

Total volume in ml = 1 liter = 1000 ml

Drop factor = 20 gtt/ ml

Time = ?

125 ml in hr is to be adminstered

So 1000 ml can be adminstered in X ml

Cross multiply

X × 125 = 1000 × 1

X= 1000/125=8

So time taken is 8 hrs = 480 minutes ( × 60)

So drops per minute= 1000×20 / 480= 41.66 drops per minute

So approximately 42 drops has to be observed per minute by the nurse