A patient is receiving a secondary infusion of vancomycin 1,500 mg in 250 mL to be infused over two hours. The IV administration set delivers 10 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min should the nurse regulate the infusion? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To determine the rate of infusion in gtt/min, you need to use the following formula:
[ \text{Flow rate (gtt/min)} = \left(\frac{\text{Volume to be infused (mL)}}{\text{Time (min)}}\right) \times \text{Drop factor (gtt/mL)} ]
Here’s the step-by-step calculation:
- Volume to be Infused: 250 mL
- Time for Infusion: 2 hours (which is 120 minutes)
- Drop Factor of IV Set: 10 gtt/mL
First, convert the time into minutes:
[ 2 \text{ hours} = 2 \times 60 \text{ minutes} = 120 \text{ minutes} ]
Next, plug the values into the formula:
[ \text{Flow rate (gtt/min)} = \left(\frac{250 \text{ mL}}{120 \text{ min}}\right) \times 10 \text{ gtt/mL} ]
First, calculate the volume per minute:
[ \frac{250 \text{ mL}}{120 \text{ min}} = 2.083 \text{ mL/min} ]
Then, multiply by the drop factor:
[ 2.083 \text{ mL/min} \times 10 \text{ gtt/mL} = 20.83 \text{ gtt/min} ]
Finally, round to the nearest whole number:
[ 20.83 \text{ gtt/min} \approx 21 \text{ gtt/min} ]
Answer: 21 gtt/min
Explanation: The nurse needs to set the IV infusion rate to deliver 21 drops per minute to ensure the vancomycin is infused correctly over the specified 2-hour period. The calculation involves determining the volume per minute based on the total volume and infusion time, and then adjusting this rate using the drop factor of the IV administration set. This ensures accurate medication delivery and patient safety.