A nurse is preparing to administer 0.9% ?sodium chloride (0.9%NaCl)500???? ?IV to infuse over 2h??. ?The drop factor of the manual IV tubing is 10 ??????????. ?The nurse should set the manual IV infusion 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 calculate the correct drip rate for the IV infusion, we need to use the following formula for IV flow rate:
[
\text{IV Flow Rate (gtt/min)} = \frac{\text{Volume (mL)}}{\text{Time (min)}} \times \text{Drop Factor (gtt/mL)}
]
Step 1: Identify the known values
- Volume (mL): 500 mL (since 0.9% sodium chloride is being infused over 500 mL)
- Time (min): 2 hours = 2 × 60 minutes = 120 minutes
- Drop Factor (gtt/mL): 10 gtt/mL (the manual IV tubing)
Step 2: Plug the values into the formula
[
\text{IV Flow Rate} = \frac{500 \text{ mL}}{120 \text{ min}} \times 10 \text{ gtt/mL}
]
Step 3: Perform the calculation
[
\text{IV Flow Rate} = \frac{500}{120} \times 10 = 4.17 \times 10 = 41.67 \text{ gtt/min}
]
Step 4: Round the answer
The answer should be rounded to the nearest whole number:
[
\text{IV Flow Rate} = 42 \text{ gtt/min}
]
Conclusion:
The nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver 42 gtt/min.
Explanation:
In this problem, the nurse is administering an IV solution (0.9% NaCl) over a set period of time (2 hours). To calculate how fast the IV should run, the formula for IV flow rate is used. The volume to be infused is divided by the time in minutes, then multiplied by the drop factor (gtt/mL) of the IV tubing. The result gives the flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min), which determines how fast the fluid should drip from the IV bag into the patient’s vein.
The drop factor of the IV tubing, in this case, is 10 gtt/mL, meaning that each milliliter of fluid corresponds to 10 drops. This ensures the correct amount of fluid is delivered over the specified period. The calculated flow rate helps the nurse manage the infusion rate accurately, ensuring the patient receives the prescribed amount of fluid in the correct time frame.