A nurse is preparing to administer dextrose 5% in water (DSW) 1,200 ml. IV to infuse over 24 hr. The drop factor of the manual IV tubing is 15 gtt/mL. The nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min? (Round 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 IV infusion rate in drops per minute (gtt/min) for the dextrose 5% in water (DSW) solution, follow these steps:
Steps to Calculate the Infusion Rate
- Determine the Total Volume and Duration:
- Total volume (V) = 1,200 mL
- Total infusion time = 24 hours
- Convert the Infusion Time from Hours to Minutes:
- There are 60 minutes in an hour.
- Total time in minutes = 24 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 1,440 minutes
- Calculate the Infusion Rate in mL/min:
- Infusion rate (mL/min) = Total volume / Total time
- Infusion rate (mL/min) = 1,200 mL / 1,440 minutes ≈ 0.833 mL/min
- Convert the Infusion Rate to gtt/min:
- The drop factor of the IV tubing is 15 gtt/mL. This means each milliliter of fluid delivers 15 drops.
- Infusion rate (gtt/min) = Infusion rate (mL/min) × Drop factor
- Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 0.833 mL/min × 15 gtt/mL = 12.495 gtt/min
- Round to the Nearest Whole Number:
- Rounding 12.495 gtt/min to the nearest whole number gives 12 gtt/min.
Explanation
In this calculation, the nurse needs to administer a total of 1,200 mL of DSW over a 24-hour period using an IV tubing with a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. To determine the correct infusion rate, the total volume is first divided by the total time in minutes to find the rate in mL/min. This result is then multiplied by the drop factor to convert the volume rate into a drop rate.
By following these steps, the nurse can set the manual IV infusion to deliver approximately 12 drops per minute. Accurate calculation and adjustment of the IV infusion rate are crucial for ensuring the correct delivery of fluids and medications, thereby promoting effective patient care and safety.