A nurse is preparing to administer lactated Ringer’s 1,500 mL IV to infuse at 50 mL/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 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 rate at which to set the manual IV infusion, we need to convert the infusion rate from mL/hr to gtt/min using the drop factor of the IV tubing. Here’s a step-by-step process for calculating this:
Step-by-Step Calculation
- Calculate the total infusion time:
- We are given that the total volume of lactated Ringer’s solution is 1,500 mL and it needs to infuse at a rate of 50 mL/hr.
- To find the total time required for infusion, use the formula:
[
\text{Total time (hours)} = \frac{\text{Total volume (mL)}}{\text{Infusion rate (mL/hr)}}
]
[
\text{Total time} = \frac{1500 \text{ mL}}{50 \text{ mL/hr}} = 30 \text{ hours}
]
- Convert infusion rate from mL/hr to mL/min:
- There are 60 minutes in an hour, so convert the rate:
[
\text{Infusion rate (mL/min)} = \frac{\text{Infusion rate (mL/hr)}}{60}
]
[
\text{Infusion rate} = \frac{50 \text{ mL/hr}}{60} \approx 0.833 \text{ mL/min}
]
- Determine the drip rate in gtt/min:
- The drop factor of the IV tubing is 15 gtt/mL. Use this to convert mL/min to gtt/min:
[
\text{Drip rate (gtt/min)} = \text{Infusion rate (mL/min)} \times \text{Drop factor (gtt/mL)}
]
[
\text{Drip rate} = 0.833 \text{ mL/min} \times 15 \text{ gtt/mL} = 12.495 \text{ gtt/min}
]
- Round to the nearest whole number:
- Rounding 12.495 to the nearest whole number gives us 12.
Conclusion
The nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver 12 gtt/min. This calculation ensures that the correct amount of fluid is administered at the intended rate. It’s essential for the nurse to use precise measurements and accurate settings to maintain proper fluid balance and avoid complications associated with incorrect infusion rates.