A patient is scheduled to receive 250 ml of Normal Saline over a 90-minute time period. The drop factor is 10 gtts/ml. What is the correct calculation?
A.
27 gtts/min
B.
20 gtts/min
C.
28 gtts/min
D.
33 gtts/min
The correct answer and Explanation is :
To calculate the correct drip rate in drops per minute (gtts/min) for administering 250 ml of Normal Saline over a 90-minute period with a drop factor of 10 gtts/ml, follow these steps:
- Determine the Total Volume to be Infused:
The total volume to be infused is 250 ml. - Determine the Total Time for Infusion:
The total infusion time is 90 minutes. - Calculate the Drip Rate in ml/min:
To find the drip rate in ml/min, divide the total volume by the total infusion time:
[
\text{Drip rate (ml/min)} = \frac{\text{Total volume (ml)}}{\text{Total time (min)}}
]
[
\text{Drip rate (ml/min)} = \frac{250 \text{ ml}}{90 \text{ min}} \approx 2.78 \text{ ml/min}
] - Convert the Drip Rate to Drops per Minute:
Use the drop factor to convert the drip rate from ml/min to gtts/min. The drop factor indicates how many drops are in 1 ml of fluid. For a drop factor of 10 gtts/ml:
[
\text{Drip rate (gtts/min)} = \text{Drip rate (ml/min)} \times \text{Drop factor (gtts/ml)}
]
[
\text{Drip rate (gtts/min)} = 2.78 \text{ ml/min} \times 10 \text{ gtts/ml} = 27.8 \text{ gtts/min}
] - Round to the Nearest Whole Number:
Since you typically round to the nearest whole number in practical settings, 27.8 gtts/min rounds to 28 gtts/min.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
C. 28 gtts/min
This calculation ensures that the infusion rate is consistent with the prescribed volume and time, which is crucial for patient safety and effective treatment.