A nurse is preparing to administer 0.9% sodium chloride 1,000 mL IV to infuse over 4 hr. The drop factor on the manual tubing is 12 gtt/mL. The nurse should regulate the flow rate to deliver how many gtt/min? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To determine the flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min) for the IV infusion, follow these steps:
- Determine the total volume to be infused: 1,000 mL.
- Determine the total infusion time: 4 hours. Convert this to minutes:
[
4 \text{ hours} \times 60 \text{ minutes/hour} = 240 \text{ minutes}
] - Calculate the flow rate in mL/min:
[
\text{Flow rate (mL/min)} = \frac{\text{Total volume (mL)}}{\text{Total time (minutes)}}
]
[
\text{Flow rate (mL/min)} = \frac{1,000 \text{ mL}}{240 \text{ minutes}} = 4.17 \text{ mL/min}
] - Determine the drop factor: The drop factor for the tubing is 12 gtt/mL.
- Calculate the flow rate in gtt/min:
[
\text{Flow rate (gtt/min)} = \text{Flow rate (mL/min)} \times \text{Drop factor (gtt/mL)}
]
[
\text{Flow rate (gtt/min)} = 4.17 \text{ mL/min} \times 12 \text{ gtt/mL} = 50.04 \text{ gtt/min}
] - Round to the nearest whole number:
[
\text{Rounded flow rate} = 50 \text{ gtt/min}
]
Thus, the nurse should regulate the flow rate to deliver 50 gtt/min.
Explanation
To administer an IV infusion correctly, calculating the accurate flow rate is crucial for ensuring that the medication or fluid is delivered at the prescribed rate. Here’s a detailed explanation of the process:
- Convert Hours to Minutes: Since infusion rates are commonly expressed in minutes, converting the total infusion time from hours to minutes provides a basis for calculating the rate per minute.
- Calculate mL/min Rate: By dividing the total volume by the total time, you find out how many milliliters should be delivered each minute.
- Apply Drop Factor: The drop factor tells you how many drops make up one milliliter. Multiplying the mL/min rate by the drop factor converts the rate into drops per minute, which is necessary for manual IV administration using drop tubing.
- Round the Result: The final step involves rounding the result to the nearest whole number to simplify the flow rate setting on the IV administration set.
This calculation ensures the patient receives the correct amount of fluid over the specified time, which is essential for effective and safe treatment.