A doctor has ordered to infuse 1000 ml NS in 8 hours, then how many drops per minute will the nurse set, given that there are 15 drops in one ml?

1. A

   20 Drops/ minute

2. B

   22 Drops/ minute

3. C

   28 Drops/ minute

4. D

   31 Drops/ minute

Appeared in: Uttarakhand CHO - 2021

Explanation

• determined by using the standard formula for IV drip rate calculation.
• First, convert the total infusion time from hours to minutes: 8 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 480 minutes.
• Next, apply the formula: Drip Rate = (Total Volume in mL × Drop Factor) / Total Time in minutes.
• Substitute the given values: (1000 mL × 15 gtt/mL) / 480 minutes.
• The calculation results in 15000 / 480 = 31.25 gtt/min.
• Since it's impossible to deliver a fraction of a drop, the rate is rounded to the nearest whole number, which is 31 drops/minute.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This value is incorrect and likely results from a miscalculation, such as an error in dividing 15000 by 480.
• Option B: This is an incorrect calculation. It does not follow the standard formula for determining the drip rate.
• Option C: This value is also a result of a calculation error. The correct calculation yields 31.25.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing IV fluid drip rate calculation helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Accurate calculation of IV flow rates is a fundamental nursing skill critical for patient safety. Administering fluids too quickly can lead to fluid overload (hypervolemia), especially in patients with cardiac or renal impairment. Administering them too slowly can result in dehydration or inadequate delivery of medication.
• While electronic infusion devices (EIDs) are now common and calculate the rate in mL/hour (1000 mL / 8 hr = 125 mL/hr), nurses must be proficient in manual drip rate calculation for situations where pumps are unavailable or malfunction.
• What if? If the order was for a pediatric patient and a microdrip set (60 gtt/mL) was used, the rate would be significantly different: (1000 mL × 60 gtt/mL) / 480 min = 125 gtt/min. This highlights the critical importance of using the correct drop factor for the specific administration set.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify that this is a calculation question requiring you to find the IV drip rate.
• Extract all the necessary values from the problem: Total Volume (1000 mL), Total Time (8 hours), and Drop Factor (15 gtt/mL).
• Recall the formula for calculating drops per minute: (Total Volume × Drop Factor) / Total Time in minutes.
• Convert the infusion time from hours to minutes. This is a crucial step that is often missed. (8 hours × 60 = 480 minutes).
• Substitute the values into the formula: (1000 × 15) / 480.
• Perform the calculation and round the result to the nearest whole number, as partial drops cannot be administered.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: IV fluid drip rate calculation
• Stem keywords: infuse, 1000 ml NS, 8 hours, drops per minute, 15 drops
• Lead-in keywords: how many

Question ID

Qzul9-1D_GT8DRtWM64mYc

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Pharmacology Nurses Shanbhag 3e p. 54-56

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 5 p. 93-95