A pediatrician orders 100 mL of NS to infuse over 30 minutes. The drop factor is 60 drops per 1 mL. The nurse prepares to set the flow rate at how many drops per minute?

1. A

   220 drops

2. B

   250 drops

3. C

   200 drops

4. D

   210 drops

Appeared in: Haryana CHO -2023

Explanation

• derived using the standard formula for IV flow rate: Flow Rate (gtt/min) = [Total Volume (mL) × Drop Factor (gtt/mL)] / Time (min).
• Plugging in the given values: (100 mL × 60 gtt/mL) / 30 min.
• The calculation results in 6000 / 30, which equals 200 drops/min.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This is an incorrect value, likely resulting from a mathematical error during calculation. It does not match the result from the standard formula.
• Option B: This is an incorrect value, likely resulting from a mathematical error during calculation. It does not match the result from the standard formula.
• Option D: This is an incorrect value, likely resulting from a mathematical error during calculation. It does not match the result from the standard formula.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing IV Drip Rate Calculation helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Accurate IV drip rate calculation is a fundamental nursing skill essential for patient safety, preventing fluid overload or under-hydration, and ensuring medications are delivered at the prescribed therapeutic rate.
• In pediatric patients, precision is critical due to their smaller body size and lower tolerance for fluid variations. While infusion pumps are the standard of care for safety and accuracy, manual calculation is a vital backup skill for nurses in all settings.
• What if the order was to infuse the 100 mL over 1 hour (60 minutes)? The flow rate would change to (100 mL × 60 gtt/mL) / 60 min = 100 drops/min. This shows how the infusion time directly alters the required flow rate.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify that this is a dosage calculation question requiring you to find the IV flow rate.
• Next, extract all the necessary values provided in the question: Total Volume (100 mL), Infusion Time (30 minutes), and Drop Factor (60 gtt/mL).
• Recall the standard formula for calculating IV drip rate: Flow Rate (gtt/min) = (Volume × Drop Factor) / Time.
• Substitute the extracted values into the formula: (100 × 60) / 30.
• Perform the mathematical calculation: 6000 / 30 = 200.
• Finally, match your calculated answer (200) with the given options to select the correct one.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: IV Drip Rate Calculation
• Stem keywords: pediatrician, 100 mL, NS, infuse, 30 minutes, drop factor, 60 drops per 1 mL
• Lead-in keywords: how many drops per minute
• Clinical cues: The drop factor of 60 gtt/mL indicates a microdrip set, which is common in pediatrics for precision.
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QwDujfIzPUonLsm4XHpGim

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Pharmacology Nurses Shanbhag 3e p. 54-56

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 799-801